Overview
- The Global Oppression and Public Health Working Group held its inaugural session Tuesday during work hours at DOHMH headquarters in Long Island City with remote access for staff.
- The group’s mission statement said it was developed in response to the “ongoing genocide in Palestine” and framed global oppression as a public‑health and health‑equity concern.
- A presentation by Hunter College professor Weeam Hammoudeh described Israeli treatment of Palestinians as second‑class status, and meeting materials reportedly did not mention Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
- City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Health Committee Chair Lynn Schulman called for an investigation into possible misuse of taxpayer time and space, and Schulman said DOHMH leadership indicated an inquiry is underway.
- Organizers identified in reporting included DOHMH staffers Sarah McKenney and Umaima Abbasi, and Jewish groups and some department employees criticized the meeting as politicized and harmful to workplace morale.