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Public commenter urges Greenburgh to remove Black Lives Matter signs from public property and requests ethics probe
Summary
An unnamed public commenter told the board the town should remove Black Lives Matter signs and murals from municipal property until their approval, funding and legal compliance are verified and asked the town attorney and ethics board to investigate possible conflicts of interest.
At the Nov. 13 meeting an unidentified public commenter urged the Town Board to remove Black Lives Matter (BLM) signs and murals from publicly owned property until it can be demonstrated they were legally approved and that no town resources were used in a way that suggests bias or a conflict of interest.
"I request that the town remove all BLM signs and murals related from public property until it can be demonstrated that they were legally approved, funded, and installed in compliance with federal, New York state, and civil rights laws as well as the code of ethics," the commenter said, asking specifically that the town attorney and the ethics board investigate.
The commenter cited a range of federal and state provisions to explain the request, including the U.S. Constitution’s equal‑protection principles and several New York statutes related to public buildings and political displays; the commenter also asked the board to consider whether any town official who served on a BLM‑affiliated board should recuse themselves from related decisions. (The commenter’s recitation included specific section numbers; the board did not adjudicate the legal claims during the meeting.)
Town staff took the comment as a request for an investigation and the town attorney was present; the board did not take immediate action but the commenter asked the ethics board and town counsel to follow up.
Next steps: the commenter asked the ethics board and town attorney to investigate. Town staff did not announce a formal timeline for such a review during the meeting.
