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By: Meyer Wolfsheim
A longtime New York City community board employee claims she was abruptly fired after nearly two decades on the job because of her age, race and political differences with the board’s leadership — an accusation that has sparked controversy and drawn attention from city officials.
Debra Markell Kleiner, 66, had served for 18 years as the district manager for Queens Community Board 2 before she was suddenly terminated last month, according to reporting by the New York Post. The role is a non-political administrative position responsible for overseeing the board’s operations, coordinating meetings and acting as a liaison between residents and city agencies.
Markell Kleiner says she believes her dismissal was discriminatory and politically motivated.
In comments to the New York Post, she said tensions had been building for years with members of the board whom she described as more ideologically progressive. She alleged that during one conversation, the board’s chair told her that “demographics have changed” and suggested the board would never return to the way it had previously operated.
“I’m a middle-aged white woman,” she told the New York Post, arguing that the remark signaled a shift in the board’s leadership and culture that ultimately led to her removal.
The timing of her termination, she said, made the situation even more devastating. According to the New York Post, Markell Kleiner had already filed paperwork indicating she planned to retire in June, meaning she was just weeks away from completing the service needed to maximize her city pension.
Being dismissed before that milestone could reduce the retirement benefits she receives after years of working in city government, she said.
“They basically took the food out of my mouth,” she told the New York Post, arguing that the board’s decision could cost her financially after nearly two decades of service.
Community boards in New York City function as advisory bodies made up largely of volunteers. While they do not pass laws, they review land-use proposals, make recommendations on neighborhood issues and serve as a conduit between residents and local government agencies.
District managers, like the role Markell Kleiner held, are staff positions that help coordinate those activities but typically do not vote or participate in policy debates.
The circumstances of her firing have raised questions among some other city leaders and community board officials.
According to the New York Post, dozens of district managers across the city signed a letter expressing concern about the decision and suggesting it may have been driven by personal disputes rather than job performance.
Joseph Marziliano, who chairs another Queens community board, told the New York Post the situation appeared suspicious because the termination vote reportedly took place during a closed executive session rather than in a more transparent setting.
“In the absence of evidence,” he said, it is difficult to understand the reasoning behind the move.
