Lawmakers question DOE hiring after Brooklyn jogger's death

New York City and state lawmakers are demanding answers about the Department of Education's hiring practices. Sayed Mohassib, 27, who worked as a teacher's aide at P.S. 200 in Brooklyn, was arrested and is accused of stabbing 28-year-old Katie Suarez while she jogged along the Shore Parkway Greenway in Bath Beach on Oct. 30. She died on Nov. 2 after several days on life support.

According to city records and multiple sources cited by amNewYork, Mohassib is a former NYPD officer who spent a month in the field training unit in 2022. The report says he was discharged from the Marines after failing a psychological evaluation. It also says that when he sought to rejoin the NYPD in 2023, supervisors raised concerns about his behavior and appearance, and he was taken to Bellevue Hospital and not rehired. Payroll data lists him as a substitute education paraprofessional from 2024 to 2026.

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Council Member Kayla Santosuosso and Assembly Member-Elect Chris McCreight called it troubling that he was a DOE employee and asked for a full investigation of his hiring and continued employment. Council Member Joann Ariola said something went wrong in the hiring process, and Council Member Frank Morano also called for an investigation into DOE screening.

DOE spokesperson Nicole Brownstein said he has been suspended and the department will move to end his employment, pending the outcome of the case. It is unclear whether psychological assessments are part of DOE hiring. He is accused of the killing, and the allegations have not been tested in court.