A Manhattan community board member has been ousted after supporting a controversial resolution to have the city Department of Education review whether there should be a ban on transgender girls in school sports.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine refused to reappoint Craig Slutzkin to Community Board 5, which covers parts of the West Side and Midtown, where he had served since 2013.
A source close to the borough president said the trans issue was certainly a factor in not reappointing Slutzkin, whose term recently expired.
Levine’s office said it “does not issue public statements regarding individual appointments due to the myriad factors that contribute to these decisions.”
“However, we take a holistic approach and consider everything during this process,” the statement said.
Slutzkin voted for a resolution in March calling for a review of transgender athletes competing in girls sports as a member of a separate school board, Community Education Council 2, where he serves as secretary.
“I have been made aware that the motive invoked for my non reappointment may have been a vote that was recently taken on a CEC resolution. The resolution calls for dialogue on the difficult topic of transgender children in sports,” Slutzkin said in a statement Wednesday.
“I believe that it is incumbent on all of us to engage in difficult conversations with honesty and integrity,” he added.
“I want to make it clear that I harbor no bias of any kind, whether it is based on race, creed, gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.”
The vote was a recommendation and non-binding in a public school system where education policy is set by the mayor and the citywide Panel on Educational Policy.
Slutzkin noted he has served in many roles on CB5, including as secretary, most recently as second vice chairman and has headed several committees — and said he felt unfairly cancelled in the culture wars.
“My tenure has been exemplary and there is absolutely nothing about my service to the Board that would preclude a reappointment,” he said, noting he’d even been nominated to run for chair of CB5 and had strong support.
“I have earned the trust and respect of my colleagues. The Borough President’s decision to not reappoint me is incomprehensible and may be interference driven by political reasons,” Slutzkin said.
Maud Maron, who serves with Slutzkin on the CEC 2 and was one of the sponsors of the resolution urging a review of allowing trans youth to compete in girls’ sports, said Slutzkin’s removal from the community board was “shameful,” calling him “one of the hardest working community members I know.”
“MBP President Mark Levine is punishing parents for voting on a resolution that asked for a dialogue. His radical trans extremism brooks no compromise — or respectful dialogue,” she told The Post.
“MBP Levine routinely talks about the importance of Democracy but thinks all 50 odd members of CB5 need to agree with him about everything? Not very Democratic.”
Other elected officials defended Levine’s action and claimed that Slutzkin supported a resolution that discriminates against trans youths.
“Slutzkin’s decision to vote for a hateful and prejudiced resolution like #248 renders him unfit to serve on a Community Board, which plays such an important role in the governance of our city in many areas of New Yorkers’ lives,” said state Assemblyman Tony Simone (D-Manhattan).
The debate over transgender athletes competing in female sports has raged elsewhere, including in neighboring Nassau County.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman approved a contested executive order banning transgender athletes from competing against girls in county athletic facilities.
