Hunter College to Review Professor After Video Identifies Allyson Friedman as Source of Racist Remarks
Video footage from a February 10 Community Education Council District 3 meeting has identified allyson friedman as the participant who made racially offensive comments while students were giving testimony, prompting institutional reviews and district-level actions. The development matters now because the remarks have triggered a formal review at Hunter College, a superintendent-led response, and a scheduled public vote by CEC District 3.
Development details
The clip, published after the February 10 meeting, captures the moment an adult participant interjected during testimony by a student from the Community Action School. Multiple attendees reacted with visible shock on the Zoom call, and a moderator addressed the speaker directly, saying: "Allyson Friedman, what you’re saying is absolutely hearable; you’ve got to stop. " The recording stops at about the 43-second mark, while the participant’s chat apology—"Deepest apology for the inappropriate comment — Zoom mishap"—appeared roughly 40 minutes later in the meeting chat.
Two separate tips from meeting attendees identified the speaker as Allyson Friedman, a parent of a Center School student and a Hunter College associate professor. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman Sigal described the comments as "outrageous" and said they have no place in civic discourse. District interim Superintendent Dr. Reginald Higgins condemned the statements as "racially offensive and rooted in anti-Blackness, " saying they demeaned a predominantly Black and Latinx school community and caused real harm to those present.
Context and escalation: Allyson Friedman and the meeting
The meeting was convened to discuss potential closure or relocation of several Upper West Side schools, a debate that drew family testimony and community concern. While a student spoke about her school and teachers, the offensive remarks were made and drew immediate calls from attendees for the speaker to stop. Following the incident, Dr. Higgins signaled district-level remedies and described targeted harm to Black students, families, and staff in a February 18 communication to the District 3 community.
In response to the episode, Hunter College has said it will review the matter under the university's conduct and nondiscrimination policies and called the remarks "abhorrent. " CEC District 3 has scheduled discussion and a public vote on a formal statement about the incident for its next meeting on March 3 at the Joan of Arc Building, 154 West 93rd Street.
Immediate impact
The remarks were made while children were giving testimony, amplifying the emotional and community impact. Dr. Higgins noted that Black students were targeted and made to feel unsafe in a forum intended to uplift them; that assessment has prompted the district to announce procedural and training changes. Confirmed measures include training for parent leaders on Zoom security settings and facilitation controls and ongoing engagement with Black families to address the harm identified by district leadership.
The identification of allyson friedman as the speaker has produced an institutional response: Hunter College’s review process has been activated and the district has moved to adopt immediate safeguards for future virtual meetings. The presence of visible reactions on the Zoom call and the later chat apology underscore that attendees perceived immediate harm, leading civic leaders and educational authorities to demand formal action.
Forward outlook
Key, confirmed next steps are clearly scheduled: Hunter College will pursue a review under its conduct and nondiscrimination rules, and CEC District 3 will publicly discuss and vote on a formal statement about the incident at its March 3 meeting at the Joan of Arc Building, 154 West 93rd Street. The district has also committed to training for parent leaders on Zoom controls and to continued engagement with Black families as part of its procedural response.
What makes this notable is that the remarks were captured during live student testimony, prompting both immediate community reaction and formal institutional responses within days. Those responses—an internal review at Hunter College, superintendent-led measures, and a scheduled public vote—are the concrete milestones now shaping how the incident will be addressed.
