A Hunter College professor's racist remarks about Black students during a New York City school meeting have sparked national outrage and led to her suspension. Allyson Friedman was heard on a Zoom call saying Black students are "too dumb to know they're in a bad school" while an eighth grader pleaded to save her middle school from closure. The comments, which Friedman claims were taken out of context, were meant to teach her child about systemic racism.

The incident occurred during a contentious meeting about proposed school closures on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where 27% of middle school students are Black. Friedman has been placed on leave pending an investigation by Hunter College. Local lawmakers, student groups, and even the hosts of "The Breakfast Club" radio show have condemned the remarks, with the student union calling the rhetoric "incompatible with the responsibilities of an educator."

Community Education Council District 3 members voted unanimously to condemn the comments and called for anti-bias training and clearer video conference protocols. The controversy has overshadowed ongoing debates about school equity and closures in the district, where proposals to relocate or close schools have divided the community along racial and economic lines.