Mayor Mamdani orders investigation into school hiring of suspect in Brooklyn jogger murder
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has launched a review of how Sayed Mohassib, charged with killing jogger Katie Suarez, was employed by the city’s Department of Education, while the department suspends him and offers counseling to affected families.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Monday that his administration will conduct a full review of the circumstances that allowed Sayed Mohassib, 27, to be hired by the New York City Department of Education despite a documented psychiatric history. Mohassib, who worked as a paraprofessional at P.S. 200 in Bath Beach, was arrested on Saturday and charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the stabbing death of Katie Suarez, a 28-year-old TD Bank employee, on Oct. 30.
The mayor said the city has suspended Mohassib and is providing counseling to students and families at the school. The Department of Education has not disclosed the specific duties of Mohassib’s position, though payroll records show he was employed as hourly support staff from April 2019 through the 2023 fiscal year and listed as a paraprofessional for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
City officials highlighted prior concerns about Mohassib’s mental fitness. In the fall of 2022, he was placed on military leave after a brief NYPD assignment and was subsequently discharged from the Marines for psychiatric reasons. In January 2023, he sought reinstatement to the NYPD, but supervisors noted he appeared disheveled and behaved in a concerning manner; the request was denied and he was taken to Bellevue Hospital.
Councilmember Kayla Santosuosso questioned why the NYPD deemed him unfit while the Department of Education allowed him to work in a classroom, urging a review of the agency’s screening process. Education policy fellow Jennifer Weber of the Manhattan Institute noted that while DOE applicants undergo criminal background checks, psychiatric histories are not assessed and ongoing evaluations may be lacking.
Jay Brown, president of Community Education Council 21, described the case as a systemic failure, emphasizing the need to recognize warning signs without demonizing mental illness. State Senator Andrew Gounardes said the review should determine how the DOE can coordinate with other city agencies when “orange flags or red flags” arise about applicants. DOE spokesperson Nicole Brownstein said student safety is the department’s top priority and that the agency is supporting the NYPD investigation. The mayor’s office has not identified who will lead the review or its timeline.