CUNY Law alums slam school's descent into hotbed of hate

Publish date: 2024-08-31

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Some of CUNY Law school’s inaugural graduating class of 1986 have expressed their collective disgust and frustration that their alma mater has descended into a hotbed of hate in a letter sent Thursday to its dean and faculty.

“Our legacy has been disgraced and we are totally disgusted by a faculty and administration that have nurtured this toxic, intolerant, and antisemitic environment,” said the letter signed by 1986 alums Dan Elias, Jill Stone, Anna Rumberg, Ann Nowak, Karen Hochberg Tommer, Paul Goodman and Vincent Maher.

Elias, an attorney who drafted the letter, told The Post he was saddened that CUNY Law has deviated greatly from its mission. “They’re pushing a political agenda. I don’t know know how it prepares people for practicing law,” he said.

He was referring to the inflammatory May 12 commencement address by student Fatima Mousa Mohammed who alleged that “Israel continues to indiscriminately rain bullets and bombs on worshipers, murdering the old, the young, attacking even funerals and graveyards… our silence is no longer acceptable.”

Some of CUNY Law school’s inaugural graduating class expressed their collective disgust and frustration at their alma mater in a letter sent Thursday to its dean and faculty. CUNY School of Law
Members of CUNY Law school class of 1986. CUNY Law School

The grads from 37 years ago also noted that the CUNY Law faculty council approved a resolution supporting the pro-Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanction movement against Israel, as did the student government.

 “The fact that CUNY has become safe haven for BDS and utilized as a regular forum for raging antisemites encouraging `lynch mobs’ and lauding resistance to `Zionism around the world,’ is an unforgivable betrayal of the values upon which this institution was founded,” the letter said.

The letter say the “antisemitic hate” celebrated in Mohammed’s speech champions the campaign against Zionism and advocates “violence against Jews and the destruction of the only one Jewish State of Israel.”

The class expressed their outrage at the recent commencement speech. Dan Elias

“While we understand that change inevitably happens, we are saddened and outraged that the very purpose and values of CUNY Law School have been eradicated, and that the respect we had for one another no longer exists at our alma mater,” the alumni said.

Mayor Eric Adams slammed Mohammed’s speech– and for CUNY Law officials failing to denounce it in real time — during a Jewish heritage month celebration at Gracie Mansion Wednesday night. Mohammed spoke after the mayor gave his own speech, where some students loudly booed and turned their back on him when he mentioned he was a former police officer.

“I will tell you, if I was on that stage, when those comments were made, I would have stood up and denounced them immediately!” said Adams. “Because we cannot allow it to happen.”

The grads noted that the CUNY Law faculty council approved a resolution supporting the pro-Palestinan boycott, divestment and sanction movement against Israel, as did the student government. Twitter/@SAFECUNY

CUNY Law School Dean Sudha Setty, who was emailed the letter, had no immediate comment.

She and others on the dais were seen applauding Mohammed following her speech.

The law school and the CUNY administration had no immediate comment.

Mohammed declined to comment on her speech when reached by The Post at a relative’s home in Queens on Monday. “I do not want to speak to anybody,” Mohammed said, refusing to give her own phone number and saying she did not want to be contacted again.

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