Public service means showing up when your constituents ask for help. It means asking difficult questions, holding people accountable, and sometimes making powerful interests uncomfortable. It should never mean having your staff allegedly assaulted, subjected to racist slurs, or arriving at work to find your district office building vandalized because you refused to look the other way.

Last week, one of my staff members was allegedly assaulted twice while performing his official duties. This week, the building housing my district office was vandalized and anonymous threats were directed at “that Council office.” The NYPD is investigating these incidents, and I am confident they will follow the facts wherever they lead.

It all started because residents called my office.

Constituents contacted us after observing construction activity at the proposed NineDot lithium ion battery storage facility at 64-30 69 Place in Middle Village. Before anyone from my office responded, we contacted the New York City Department of Buildings to determine whether the reported work appeared to be authorized. Based on the information provided to us at the time, members of my staff went to the site to observe and document what residents were reporting from a public sidewalk.

That is exactly what you elected us to do.

On Wednesday, July 1, one of my staff members was allegedly shoved while documenting activity from a public sidewalk. Later that day, the Department of Buildings issued a Partial Stop Work Order.

The next morning, Thursday, July 2, residents again contacted my office after observing work continuing despite that Stop Work Order. They sent photographs showing what appeared to be a large concrete vault being installed. Again, we contacted the Department of Buildings. Again, my office responded.

While lawfully documenting activity through the publicly required viewing opening in the construction fence, my staff member was allegedly confronted by a construction worker, subjected to an anti Asian slur, repeatedly touched, and ultimately tackled to the ground. His head struck the pavement. He was admitted to the hospital, where doctors directed that he remain overnight for observation. He has since been released but continues to receive additional medical care.

No public servant should ever experience that for doing his job.

The Department of Buildings later determined that the contractor had installed and backfilled a concrete vault despite the Partial Stop Work Order. The City responded by issuing a Class 1 Aggravated Stop Work Order, which we have been advised is the highest level of Stop Work Order the Department can issue.

The facts matter.

The facts are that residents contacted my office.

The facts are that we first contacted the Department of Buildings.

The facts are that my staff was lawfully recording from a public sidewalk through the publicly required viewing opening in the construction fence.

The facts are that workers ran out of the construction site and confronted my staff after we documented work that ultimately resulted in the Department of Buildings issuing a Class 1 Aggravated Stop Work Order.

We caught them in the act.

If the contractor believed my staff was doing something improper, the proper response was to call the NYPD. Instead, workers allegedly took matters into their own hands. And they only pulled out the safety cones AFTER realizing we were recording the illegal construction; in an effort to set the stage for the claim that my office was improper in using their First Amendment rights, and their duties as an elected office.

Then, on Monday, July 6, members of my staff arrived at our district office and discovered that two second floor windows in the building had been shattered. An individual associated with the building also reported receiving anonymous overnight phone calls warning that “that Council office” needed to be controlled or “more windows will be broken.”

Whether investigators ultimately determine these incidents are connected is their responsibility. What cannot be ignored is the pattern. Within a matter of days, my office experienced two alleged assaults on a staff member carrying out official duties, followed by threats directed at our Council office and vandalism at the building where we serve our constituents.

What disappoints me just as much is what did not happen.

NineDot has never reached out to apologize for the conduct of its contractor.

No one from the company has checked on the well being of my injured staff member.

No one has reached out to reassure our community that this is not how they intend to operate in our neighborhood.

Instead, the company has continued issuing public statements while a contractor working on its project is at the center of alleged assaults, racist remarks, multiple Department of Buildings enforcement actions, and an active criminal investigation.

NineDot has benefited from substantial institutional investment, including public financing through entities such as the New York Green Bank and investments from major financial institutions including Carlyle, Manulife, Deutsche Bank, and others. Companies supported by taxpayers and backed by some of the world’s largest investors should hold themselves to the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and community engagement. Our neighborhood deserves nothing less.

I also want to thank the overwhelming majority of residents who reached out over the past week to check on my injured staff member and express concern for my office. Your calls, emails, text messages, and words of encouragement reminded us why we do this work.

To the small number of people who continue to push misinformation, you are entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts.

This has never been about opposing hardworking construction workers. District 30 is proud of its blue collar roots. It has always been about accountability, transparency, and protecting our neighborhoods. Companies should follow the law. Public servants should be able to do their jobs without being threatened or assaulted. Communities deserve to have their voices heard.

My office will continue responding to constituent complaints.

We will continue documenting what residents ask us to investigate.

We will continue standing up for the people of District 30.

We will not be intimidated.

And we will never stop serving our community.