A Jewish couple who were beaten in an alleged anti-Semitic fight at their twins’ fifth-grade graduation plan to sue New York City for $100 million.
Johan Nunez and Lana Lerner argue that the Department of Education “failed to provide adequate security measures” at PS 682 in Brooklyn on June 14 amid an influx of anti-Semitic attacks since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
As a result, they say a woman slammed her black stiletto heel into Nunez’s head as he was repeatedly punched and kicked, and Lerner was dragged by her hair moments after another family began chanting “Free Palestine.”
The couple now say they suffered assault and emotional distress from the fight caught on camera, according to a notice of claim. obtained by the New York Post.
They also claim to have suffered human rights violations.
Johan Nunez and Lana Lerner plan to sue the New York City Department of Education for $100 million
A short video shows Nunez being pulled aside and kicked after attending his twins’ graduation ceremony in an alleged anti-Semitic attack.
The family says the fight occurred after a graduating fifth-grade student wore a supposedly school-approved graduation cap with “Free Palestine” written on it as he walked across the stage and waved a small Palestinian flag.
Upon seeing the spectacle, Lerner said her mother recoiled and left her seat in disgust.
“I can’t stand this,” her mother, a Jewish refugee from Ukraine, told her daughter in Russian.
Meanwhile, another parent asked school administrators how such a display could be allowed at a graduation ceremony.
“The administrator basically told him, ‘We contacted the legal department and they said it’s free speech and it’s allowed,'” Lerner told the Post.
The rest of the ceremony went off without a hitch, but once it was over, all the families gathered at a balloon display to take pictures.
As Lerner and his family stood up to take photos of the twins, the family of the boy wearing the Palestinian hat and flag tried to push them away so they wouldn’t interfere, the notice of claim says.
The couple argues that the Department of Education “failed to provide adequate safety measures” at PS 682 in Brooklyn on June 14.
“They were pushing my mother so she wouldn’t get in their way,” Lerner said.
‘He turned to them and said, “Excuse me, please stop pushing. There’s plenty of room.”
But, he said, “an older gentleman turned to us out of nowhere and said, ‘Free Palestine.'”
Nunez then reportedly tried to calm the situation by saying, “This is not the time or place for this,” but one of the men from the other family continued shouting, “Free Palestine! Gaza is ours!”
At that point, Lerner said, a younger member of the other unidentified family punched Nunez in the temple, put him in a headlock and dragged him to the ground.
Several people then joined the fight, including a woman who allegedly stabbed Nunez with her black stiletto heel.
An unidentified person allegedly hit Núñez in the temple, while another woman smashed a stiletto into his head.
Nunez was taken to a local hospital after suffering injuries to his head, elbow and left knee.
In an effort to save Nunez, Lerner said, his 16-year-old son tried to help get people away from his father but also ended up getting punched in the face.
Meanwhile, Lerner attempted to record the assault on his phone, but said he was only able to capture a few seconds before “a woman from the same family approached me from my left side, pulled my hair, dragged me on the ground, kicked me (and) said, ‘I’m going to kill you.'”
The fight was eventually broken up by two teachers as there was no security at the site, according to court documents.
Police responding to the scene also ended up arresting Ez-Al Dean Bazar, 26, who is accused of punching and dragging Nunez, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
Officers are also investigating the incident as a hate crime. according to amNY.
The family claims that the school “incited hostility” by “allowing an anti-Semitic message to be displayed at a school event.”
After the incident, Nunez went to a local hospital after suffering injuries to his head, elbow and left knee, and Lerner went to an urgent care center for the injuries he sustained.
Nearly a month later, Nunez said he still has “a lot of pain in his body” and is under a doctor’s care for his injuries.
The family now alleges that the school “incited hostility” by “allowing an anti-Semitic message to be displayed at a school event.”
“Our position is that the Department of Education basically allowed this to happen because tensions were high and they did not have adequate security and supervision of the parents, family members and guests who attended the graduation to ensure that something like this did not escalate to the point of violence,” said attorney Mark Shirian.
He and his co-counsel, Sanford Rubenstein, added: “We believe the Department of Energy should consider the consequences when it allows such a display at a public graduation.”
Both also plan to file civil lawsuits against the Department of Education and those involved in the assault.
DailyMail.com has contacted the city’s Department of Education and Law Department for comment.
But in a statement to the Post, a Department of Education spokesperson said: ‘Graduations should be times of celebration and joy, and we strongly denounce anyone who acts in a violent or aggressive manner during such events.
‘Initial reports we have received from multiple witnesses indicate that both families engaged in aggressive behavior, but we are still investigating the matter while also engaging with the families as we work to find a resolution.’
