New York employee paid to promote diversity caught ripping down Israeli hostage poster and allegedly assaulting the person who was filming him

An Adams administration employee whose mission includes fostering “unity” and overcoming “cultural divides” has come under fire for tearing down an Israeli hostage poster and then allegedly assaulting an outraged eyewitness, The Post has learned.

Nallah Sutherland, special events coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Special Projects and Community Events, was caught earlier this month ripping a poster off an Upper East Side light pole, tearing it up and throwing it into a trash can, according to a video posted online by the nonprofit StopAntisemetism.

“This is a horrific act of anti-Semitism,” said nonprofit founder Liora Rez, who demanded that Adams immediately fire Sutherland.

But Sutherland, 25, was merely given a slap on the wrist by her bosses, who merely required her to undergo “multicultural training” and added a disciplinary note to her permanent work file, a City Hall source told The Post.

Footage of the Nov. 2 event at the corner of York Ave. and East 84th Street begins with Sutherland ripping off the poster and throwing it into a trash can.

“Is there a reason you take them off?” – asks an eyewitness about a poster that is part of a public art campaign to raise awareness of the Israeli and American hostages taken captive by Hamas during the terrorist attack on the Jewish state on October 7, 2023.

“They were hostages. Terrorists took them,” adds the eyewitness, according to the 20-second recording he recorded.

Sutherland then approaches the man and swipes his right hand across his phone, momentarily losing focus, as seen in the video.

– Actually, it’s an assault. You know that, right?” the man responds to Sutherland, who smiles and walks away, the video shows.

Sutherland began working for Adams – a staunch supporter of Israel – in 2023. He earns $61,135 a year helping plan celebrations he hosts at Gracie Mansion and other venues to honor the city’s many ethnic groups.

He is part of a team dedicated to “bridging cultural divides… and supporting key city initiatives that help provide New Yorkers with a source of strength, unity and resilience in all communities across the five boroughs and beyond.” according to her office’s website.

In May, the office organized Jewish heritage celebration led by Adams at the Gracie residence. Invited speakers included Shoshan Haran, who, along with her daughter and two grandchildren, was taken hostage by Hamas and released 50 days later.

“It is extremely hypocritical that someone who supports the murder of anyone still has a job, much less in a department that plays a key role in our city’s diversity efforts – despite the fact that it cannot tolerate innocent Jews kidnapped by Hamas ” – she said. Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) after being told about Sutherland’s action.

“Decisive action must be taken to rid the city authorities of these disgusting pro-jihadist sentiments once and for all,” he added. Wiernikov, who is Jewish.

The eyewitness, who is Jewish and did not report the incident to the authorities, wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation in connection with incidents of anti-Semitism are growing throughout the state.

“It is a sad state of affairs when a victim has no confidence in the New York Police Department or” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “to properly investigate” hate crimes,” Rez said. “There is no trust in the authorities to ensure safety for victims.”

City Hall first mentioned the incident a few weeks ago when a tipster recognized Sutherland after watching the video he posted StopAntisemetism social media accounts– said the source.

The same “multicultural training” Sutherland received will now be mandatory for all employees in the Mayor’s Office of Special Projects and Community Events to prevent similar hateful behavior in the future, a City Hall source said.

Sutherland is a “junior employee” who, as part of her duties, does not communicate directly with Adams, the source added.

“Mayor Adams has made it clear that hate has no place in our city and the same – if not higher – standards should be held for our city’s more than 300,000 employees,” the Mayor’s Office said.

“Therefore, disciplinary action was taken immediately after I became aware of this incident several weeks ago.”

Sutherland did not respond to messages.

Yoav Davis, activist and founder Jews from New York, she was amazed that Sutherland kept her job.

“It is particularly disturbing to learn that an individual employed in the mayor’s office – especially in a position intended to celebrate the city’s diversity – is directly associated with this culture of hate,” he said.

Additional reporting by Christina Narizhnaya.