New Washington Heights High School Launches As Parents Wait For NYPD Apology

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Zeta Charter Schools recently welcomed its first class of high school students to its new Washington Heights campus, months after local police officers publicly suggested the expanding school could bring crime, weapons and disorder to the neighborhood.

School representatives and parents say the remarks stereotyped their children, many of whom are Spanish speakers and children of color, before the high school was even open — and despite a petition with more than 1,300 signatures, a precinct protest and a complaint referred to NYPD Internal Affairs, they are still waiting for an apology or substantive response.

At two community board meetings in early March, uniformed 34th Precinct officers raised public-safety concerns about plans for a new Zeta high school in Washington Heights.

Zeta has nine other locations — all elementary and middle schools — in the Bronx, Queens and in Inwood, Manhattan.

Police Warned “Crime Is Going To Go Up”

According to meeting videos, when asked about the impact the school would have on the neighborhood, Lt. Michael Woloski implied that the school would negatively impact the quality of life in the area, and that students would be coming in from other neighborhoods, and they wouldn't "take pride in the area."

"They’re not gonna, you know, clean up after themselves; they’re not gonna respect the tenants," Woloski said.

At the same March 4 Community Board 12 Land Use meeting, Officer Virginia Peralta spoke against the idea of the new school, raising the possibility of students bringing a weapon to school.

"We're worried about new kids coming there and that being an issue of them being scared, bringing a weapon to school. I don't know if this school plans on having metal detectors or anything like that," Peralta said at the Land Use Committee meeting.

At a Community Board 12 Traffic and Transportation Committee meeting on March 2, Precinct 34's Commanding Officer John Portalatin said that, with a new influx of students, "crime is going to go up" on the subway if students "see an opportunity."

Parents Say Students Were “Labeled” Before School Opened

The comments — which the school’s representatives say are completely unfounded — prompted a petition with more than 1,300 signatures, a protest outside the 34th Precinct and an opened case in the NYPD’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, which was later referred to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

Community Board 12-Manhattan has declined to comment on the matter, and the NYPD has not responded to a request for comment.

Haram Ridja Singh, a father of two Zeta students and a member of Zeta’s parent-teacher association, told Patch that the officers’ statements didn’t match what he sees every day.

“I think it's healthy to have community discussions. I also think it's important that those discussions are based in fact and not in assumptions, especially when coming from public officials talking about children,” Singh said. “You know, these are kids that are doing Taekwondo or learning how to play violin, and then we have public officials and adults labeling them this way.”

His daughter, who is going into seventh grade at Zeta, helped distribute petition flyers over the summer.

“These are people we trust in our community to protect our children, and to hear them speaking about them that way, it’s a mixture of hurt and anger,” Singh said. “It’s labeling them before they even stepped into the school.”

School Opens, But Families Are Still Waiting

Momina Manzoor, the principal of Zeta’s elementary school in nearby Inwood, said that the school’s relationship with precinct 34 was generally a good one, and that officers assist with pick-up and drop-off.

Furthermore, Manzoor, who has been at the Inwood school for more than four years, said there have been no serious safety incidents within the school community.

Since the news of the officers’ comments spread, Manzoor told Patch she’s heard from both children and parents about how the comments impacted Zeta’s students.

“The way that police officers were speaking about our students did not make them feel safe, respected or valued in their own communities,” Manzoor said.

The school boasts a record of academic success, with nearly half of its students earning the state’s highest performance level in math and English language arts, according to the school.

"For so many families, this is the first time they will have access to a world-class high school, one that expects the very best from every student and gives them the support to reach it," Kendall Quan, the principal of the high school, said.

The charter school’s first ninth-grade class began school Aug. 17, extending the network through high school for the first time. The school has 119 students in the ninth grade.

"Our aim for every student is to find work they love, build generational wealth, make a powerful impact in the world, and know that they never have to navigate that journey alone," Emily Kim, founder and CEO of Zeta Charter Schools, said on opening day.

Manzoor said that families want accountability from the NYPD and a repaired relationship with Precinct 34.

“Our hope is that families just feel heard and that meaningful steps are taken to kind of restore that trust,” Manzoor said.

In a letter to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Zeta parents and students requested a review of the officers’ conduct, appropriate disciplinary action, a public apology and an explanation of how the NYPD plans to restore trust.

The official complaint, which was submitted to the CCRB on June 3, was referred to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, since the allegations fell outside of the CCRB’s jurisdiction. All personnel or disciplinary decisions ultimately rest with the NYPD.

According to Manzoor, no meaningful response has been received.

Whether or not a resolution comes, Manzoor said the important thing is how the school’s community responded.

“There are so many studies about how just believing in a child can change the entire trajectory of their life, and I want them to know that at the end of the day, that's what all of this is about,” Manzoor said. “I want them to know that the adults in their lives stood up for them.”

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.