Several migrants staying in a shelter tent at Floyd Bennett Field were transferred to James Madison High School in New York on Wednesday, January 10, due to a rainstorm. To accommodate immigrants on school grounds, Judy Cohen, the high school principal, decided to have students attend classes virtually for one day.
She formally informed parents of her decision via Zoom call on Tuesday.
However, parents criticized it for making students switch to distance learning. Cohen reportedly criticized the parents during the Zoom meeting and according to the New York Post, she said:
“How dare someone say that I don’t care about children.”
After the incident, the principal of James Madison High School began receiving criticism online. Once the news was uploaded to X by @nypost, it went viral. Netizens flocked to the comments section of the post to criticize the director, and some believe she should be fired.
Netizens are criticizing the principal of James Madison High School for criticizing parents and providing shelter to migrants on the school premises
Two thousand immigrants were brought from Floyd Bennett Field to James Madison High School, where they spent the night in the school auditorium and gymnasium. Judy Cohen, the school's principal, formally informed parents of the decision on Tuesday via Zoom call. Cohen also told parents that she decided to have students attend class virtually on Wednesday.
This is due to uncertainty about when the building will be prepared for classroom use after the migrants return to their shelter. However, her decision received backlash from parents, and according to the New York Post, the school's principal said:
“I don't understand how people who have never come to a Zoom like this can take an opportunity like this evening to throw mud.”
She added:
“this [emergency] For one night, one night!
The incident led to the director receiving heaps of backlash online. Netizens took to the comments section of the NY Post tweet and reacted to the situation as they criticized James Madison High School and Cohen.
By 4:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, the migrants were back at Floyd Bennett Field, but New York City school students implemented a distance learning plan at Cohen's request, according to the New York Post.
The high school also shared a post on Facebook to update parents and students on the situation. They stated that the migrants have returned to their shelter and that classes will resume in person on Thursday, January 11.
