NYC HS principal lashes out at parents who bashed decision to force students to go remote as migrants sheltered at school

A Brooklyn high school principal tore into parents who criticized her decision to have students attend class remotely the day after migrants sheltered there. Paul Martinka

A Brooklyn high school principal lashed out at parents who ripped her decision to boot students out of the classroom the day after 2,000 migrants moved in for a night.

“How dare someone say that I don’t care about kids,” roared James Madison High School principal Jodie Cohen on a Zoom call Tuesday at parents seething that she “sold the kids out” by having them go remote the day after the migrants were evacuated from Floyd Bennett Field because of a torrential rain storm.

“I don’t understand how people who never come on a Zoom like this could take an opportunity like this evening to throw mud,” Cohen said, her voice breaking. “This [emergency] is for one night, one night!”

The principal explained she decided to have students attend school remotely on Wednesday because it wasn’t clear how quickly the building would be ready for classroom use after the migrants were bused back to their shelter.

“I don’t understand how people who never come on a Zoom like this could take an opportunity like this evening to throw mud,” Jodie Cohen said, her voice breaking. “This [emergency] is for one night, one night!” madisonhs.org

The migrants were rushed back to Floyd Bennett Field by 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, but Madison students continued with the remote learning plan at Cohen’s request, City Hall said.

Madison students returned to their in-person lessons on Thursday, even after bomb threats were called into the school over the decision to temporarily shelter migrants there, according to cops.

Cohen did not respond to requests for comment.

Additional reporting by Susan Edelman