NYC Teachers Warned Not To Wear Pro-NYPD Shirts At School
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A T-shirt showdown has left two of the city's most powerful unions at war – with teachers pitted against the NYPD.
As CBS 2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported, many teachers across the city wore pro-police t-shirts after their union president, Michael Mulgrew, attended the Rev. Al Sharpton's march protesting the death of Eric Garner, a 43-year-old father of six who died while in police custody on July 17.
Mayor De Blasio Weighs In After NYC Teachers Warned Against Wearing Pro-NYPD Shirts At School
The choice to wear the T-shirts subjected the teachers to threats from their union, and started a heated war of words between the United Federation of Teachers and the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.
PBA President Patrick Lynch spoke out to support the teachers who were going to wear the shirts on the first day of school until they received threats from the union, CBS 2's Kramer reported.
"It's absolutely a scare tactic," said Lynch. "It's mindboggling."
The email warning reportedly received by teachers from a UFT official read in part, "Certain t-shirt messages may appear to be supportive, but individuals (parents, students) may see a different meaning in that message."
The email also raised "potential implications" careerwise, Kramer reported.
"It's only our responsibility to let people know these things," Mulgrew said.
But Lynch countered: "They decided to act like management to try to scare their members from doing it and trying to stop the fact that their members don't agree with their union marching with Al Sharpton. It's disgraceful."
At the Aug. 23 march on Staten Island, Mulgrew stirred up the crowd with his anti-police stance, Kramer reported.
"We want this death to come to something good for all of us and all of our communities," Mulgrew said.
Many teachers took to the Internet to post comments attacking their union head's position.
"This isn't a march of unity -- this is a march of hate against the NYPD," Christopher Wallace wrote.
''We are NOT unanimous in supporting this disgusting march against our police officers!!!" Jackie Townsend wrote.
Mulgrew issued a statement Friday saying, "The Eric Garner march was a teachable moment for all New Yorkers, but the lesson seems to have been lost on Mr. Lynch."
Mulgrew claimed that the Department of Education rules require teachers to avoid distracting clothes and openly political statements when in school.
Mulgrew also said he wants to invite Lynch to talk for a "teachable moment," but it is unclear whether the suggested talk will happen, Kramer reported.
Mayor Bill de Blasio weighed in on the issue Friday afternoon saying, "Every individual in our society has a right to make their own decisions about how they want to express themselves, and every union has a right to communicate with their own members. So from my point of view, it's a choice that each individual makes."
When asked whether there's a teachers versus cops mentality in New York City, the mayor said respectfully, that is a media fabrication, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.
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