Aide’s Arrest Raises Questions About DOE Hiring Checks
Sayed Mohassib, 27, was charged with second-degree murder in the October 30 stabbing death of 28-year-old Katie Suarez, who was jogging on a Brooklyn footpath. Mohassib served as a classroom aide at Bath Beach’s PS 200 The Benson School. The DOE said he had been suspended and that the school community was receiving support and resources.
The arrest has raised questions about how the department vets employees who work with children. A former DOE deputy chancellor said employees undergo FBI background checks, and argued that Mohassib’s 2022 discharge from the Marines as psychologically unfit should have been flagged. He said a psychologist’s assessment that a person was receiving treatment could provide a path to employment.
Sources familiar with DOE hiring described screening delays and operational problems, but did not provide specific examples of unqualified hires. Substitute paraprofessionals are nominated by a principal, DOE sources said. The head of Community Education Council 20, John Ricottone, said he did not fault PS 200’s principal, but urged the department to consider candidates’ mental health as well as their criminal backgrounds.
Paraprofessionals often support students with disabilities and other students who need specialized assistance. The DOE said student safety was its highest priority. Mohassib reportedly said he woke up stained with blood and could not remember the killing. The murder charge is an accusation; the reports provided no further details about what comes next in the case.
DOE Must Strengthen Screening After Aide’s Murder Arrest
Sayed Mohassib, a classroom aide at Brooklyn’s PS 200 The Benson School, was charged with second-degree murder in the October 30 stabbing death of 28-year-old Katie Suarez as she jogged on a Brooklyn footpath. The DOE suspended him and said it was supporting the school community.
The case raises serious questions about whether the department’s checks are adequate for employees entrusted with children, including students who need specialized assistance. A former deputy chancellor said DOE employees receive FBI background checks, but Mohassib’s discharge from the Marines in 2022 as psychologically unfit should have triggered scrutiny. He said a psychologist’s finding that someone was receiving treatment could allow hiring to proceed.
Sources familiar with hiring described screening backlogs and operational problems, while offering no specific examples of other hires. Substitute paraprofessionals are nominated by a principal. Community Education Council 20 President John Ricottone called for mental-health screening alongside background checks, while saying he did not fault the school’s principal.
The DOE says student safety is its top priority. But a system that insiders describe as slow and uneven needs to answer how a candidate with this reported history was cleared to work in a school. Mohassib reportedly said he woke up covered in blood and could not recall the killing. He faces a murder charge.
Arrest Spotlights DOE’s Failure to Vet School Staff
Sayed Mohassib, a 27-year-old paraprofessional at PS 200 The Benson School, was charged with second-degree murder in the October 30 stabbing death of 28-year-old Katie Suarez on a Brooklyn footpath. The DOE suspended him and said it was providing support to the school community.
The department’s hiring safeguards are now under scrutiny. A former deputy chancellor said DOE employees undergo FBI background checks and that Mohassib’s 2022 discharge from the Marines as psychologically unfit should have been flagged. He also described a possible route around that concern if a psychologist said a candidate was receiving treatment.
Sources familiar with DOE hiring pointed to screening delays and operational problems, saying the department needs faster vetting. Substitute paraprofessionals are nominated by principals, and the employees often work with students with disabilities and others requiring accommodations. Community Education Council 20 President John Ricottone called for mental-health screening in addition to background checks, while saying he did not blame PS 200’s principal.
The DOE says student safety is its highest priority, but that assurance does not resolve the questions raised by the arrest. Mohassib reportedly said he awoke bloodied and could not recall the killing. The charge remains an accusation.
Reported by New York Post, CBS New York.
