New York professor slammed for ‘abhorrent racist comment’ during public meeting | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload ourSocial PartnerWe are 8 logo (opens in a new tab)AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleOwen ScottMonday 23 February 2026 10:34 GMTFriedman is a teacher at Hunter College and specializes in Cellular Neurophysiology (Google Streetview)Allyson Friedman, an associate professor at Hunter College, has faced criticism for making "abhorrent" racist comments during a public meeting on 10 February.The remarks were made during a debate concerning New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to close several schools on Manhattan’s West Side.Friedman stated, "They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school," and "If you train a Black person well enough, they’ll know to use the back," after a Black student expressed sadness about a potential school closure.She later explained that she was attempting to illustrate systemic racism to her child by referencing an "obviously racist trope" and apologised for the unintended harm caused.Friedman, a cellular neurobiology professor, acknowledged that her comments caused pain, despite her intent not being to direct them at any student or group.In fullNew York City college professor causes outrage by using ‘racist trope’ during virtual meetingThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in