Joint Statement from Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Carmen De La Rosa on the Mamdani Administration’s Lawsuit Against the RESPECT Check Act for Paraprofessionals

The Mamdani Administration filed a lawsuit against the RESPECT Check Act, which would require the City to issue workforce stabilization payments totaling up to $10,000 to paraprofessionals employed by the Board of Education. In response, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Carmen De La Rosa issued the following statement:

“Every member of the Council, in a unanimous and bipartisan vote, supported the RESPECT Check Act because it is unacceptable that paraprofessionals who support some of our highest-need students are earning as little as $32,000 a year.

This law is not only the right thing to do, it is also the fiscally responsible thing to do, helping address the staffing shortages that contribute to the City’s $1.5 billion in Carter case costs.

The Council will vigorously defend the law.”