NYC Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and his wife, Christina Melendez, are suing a prestigious school, alleging racial discrimination against their daughters.
Who is Ydanis Rodriguez?
Rodriguez and his wife Melendez have initiated a lawsuit against the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the Bronx. They allege that their two daughters faced racial discrimination while attending the school.
The lawsuit, originally filed in June by Christina Melendez, who serves as the executive director of the Department of Education’s office of family and community engagement (FACE), makes claims of racial bias and retaliatory actions against the family. It states that their older daughter, now 16, encountered discrimination, and their younger daughter, aged 10, was expelled as retaliation for complaints about racism within the institution.
The legal complaint asserts that the school and its teachers intentionally discriminated against individuals of color and took retaliatory actions against those who raised concerns about racism within the institution. It also mentions a racially charged atmosphere, with white students reportedly engaging in racist behavior without facing consequences, including incidents from 2016 and 2018.
The lawsuit cites specific allegations against a ninth-grade math teacher, Stephanie Weber, who allegedly treated students of color differently during tests, forcing them to take exams in class while allowing white students to take them home. Weber is also accused of ridiculing a student of color without addressing similar behavior from white students.
After Christina Melendez complained about Weber’s behavior, the teacher falsely accused Rodriguez’s older daughter of cheating, leading to the teenager’s withdrawal from the school.
The lawsuit also contends that the school expelled the younger sister in response to Melendez’s complaints, conveying a message that criticism of the school’s racially hostile environment would result in severe consequences.
This legal action is one of several discrimination cases brought against Ethical Culture Fieldston School in recent years. Rodriguez’s daughters attended the school on scholarships intended for lower-income minority students, despite their parents’ incomes. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages against the school, administrators, and teachers.
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The school has stated that many of the allegations date back to 2016 and have since been addressed, emphasizing its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
