Mamdani Orders Review of School Hiring of Murder Suspect

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday he had ordered a full review of how the city’s public school system hired and continued employing Sayed Mohassib, who has been charged with murder in the death of Brooklyn jogger Katie Suarez. The Department of Education suspended Mohassib and said it would move to terminate his employment pending the criminal case. Mamdani said he was fired Monday, two days after his arrest.

Suarez, 28, was stabbed in the neck while running along the Brooklyn waterfront on October 30 and died several days later, according to court documents and accounts from her family. Mohassib, 27, was charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon. The charges are allegations; no finding of guilt is reported.

The mayor announced the review at a news conference, saying student safety was paramount. The review is intended to examine how Mohassib was hired, but the mayor’s office had not identified who would lead it or when it would conclude. The Department of Education has not confirmed his specific responsibilities at P.S. 200, where he worked as a paraprofessional.

City payroll records show Mohassib began working for the...