Lawmakers question Education Department hiring after Brooklyn jogger's killing

New York City and state lawmakers are demanding answers about how the Department of Education (DOE) hires staff. The questions follow the arrest of Sayed Mohassib, 27, who is charged with fatally stabbing 28-year-old Katie Suarez as she jogged along the Shore Parkway Greenway in Bath Beach on Oct. 30. Suarez died on Nov. 2 after several days on life support. Mohassib is accused of the attack, and the allegations have not been decided in court.

According to city records and multiple sources cited by amNewYork, Mohassib is a former NYPD officer who left after a month in the field training unit in 2022. He was also discharged from the Marines after failing a psychological evaluation. Reports say that when he sought to rejoin the NYPD in 2023, supervisors raised concerns about his behavior and appearance and had him taken to Bellevue Hospital. He was not rehired. Payroll data lists him as a substitute education paraprofessional from 2024 to 2026, and he worked at P.S. 200 in Brooklyn as a teacher's aide.

On the Sunday after the arrest, Council Member Frank Morano called for a full investigation into the DOE's hiring and screening procedures. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Council Member Kayla Santosuosso and Assembly Member-Elect Chris McCreight issued a joint statement calling for a full investigation into his hiring and continued employment. Council Member Joann Ariola said "something went very wrong" in the hiring process and that the city owes parents an explanation. It is unclear whether psychological assessments are part of DOE hiring.

DOE spokesperson Nicole Brownstein said Mohassib has been suspended, that the department will move to terminate his employment, and that it is supporting the NYPD's investigation.