NEW YORK. A groundbreaking for a new building at the Borough of Manhattan Community College — to replace one damaged during the 9/11 attacks — was marred by a screaming match between City Councilman Charles Barron and CUNY trustee Jeffrey Wiesenfeld yesterday.
Barron took the podium feeling that he — and others who pushed hard for the new $259 million
Fiterman Hall — were rudely shunted aside during the ceremony presided over by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and CUNY officials. As Barron referred to the disrespect, Wiesenfeld shouted at him, “You’re a disgrace!” Barron shouted back to “Shut up!” The two yelled at each other for about a minute.
“This individual has no civility” Wiesenfeld said as he left, accusing Barron of acting “like a thug.” He also raised Barron’s controversial welcome of Zimbabwe an President Robert Mugabe at the City Council.
“Jeff is a right-wing, ignorant, conservative, racist fool who disrespected the whole session by shouting at me and attacking me while I was trying to address the audience,” Barron said later.
“What does Mugabe have to do with Fiterman Hall?”
