Leadership committee votes to bar a repeated disruptive public speaker from speaking until she apologizes

Community Board 11’s Leadership Committee voted on May 15 to bar a repeated, disruptive public speaker from addressing board meetings until she issues an apology to the board and the community and conforms to the board’s code of conduct.

The motion, introduced and read aloud by Cynthia (name given in the meeting without a role specified) and seconded by Wendy Hewlett Betts (chair of land use and sanitation), asked that the committee “bar Ms. Delgado from speaking at Community Board 11 meetings until she provides an apology to the board and the community that directly addresses these issues and adheres strictly to our regulations going forward.” The committee debated the motion after multiple gallery speakers raised concerns about repeated conduct and allegations of discriminatory and threatening comments.

The committee conducted a roll-call style count during which members were recorded as voting in favor, against, or abstaining. The final tally recorded in the meeting was 6 in favor, 3 opposed and 2 abstentions. Members recorded as voting yes were Cynthia (mover), Veronica Castro (treasurer and co-chair of economic development), Harry (sergeant at arms / board member as referenced), Stacy Ann (board member as referenced), Jeanette Wilson (acting chair of ethics) and Wendy Hewlett Betts. Members recorded as voting no were Alex Ellison (chairman of the Education Committee), Sandra (Sandy) Rodriguez (chair of the board) and Janice Walcott. Two members — Rich and the Rabbi (names used in the meeting) — were recorded as abstaining. The committee chair said the motion passed and that the item would be taken to the full board for further discussion next week.

During debate, speakers described repeated incidents in which the named individual allegedly used disparaging language at board events and in emails to elected officials, and committee members and staff raised concerns about harassment, threats and the impact of repeated disruptions on meeting functioning. Several public commenters also described conduct they said occurred at prior meetings and urged enforcement of the code of conduct.

Committee members discussed legal limits on restricting attendance and on what constitutes allowable limits under open-meetings law; the motion as passed barred speaking privileges but did not prohibit the individual from attending meetings. The committee recorded the action as a formal committee-level restriction to be reviewed at the full-board meeting.