Politics & Government
Orangetown Board Condemns Columbia For Hiring Kathy Boudin
Boudin was convicted of murder for her part in the Brinks robbery and killings in 1981
In a late addition to Tuesday night’s Orangetown Town Board meeting, council members Thomas Diviny and Paul Valentine proposed a resolution condemning Columbia University for employing Dr. Kathy Boudin.
Boudin was paroled after being convicted of murder for her role in the Oct. 20, 1981 Brinks robbery and murders in Rockland County.
“Columbia University is one of our neighbors,” Diviny said. “They have the Lamont-Doherty facility in Sparkhill and they really haven’t been a good neighbor by ignoring the sensitivity of this community regarding Kathy Boudin and the murder that occurred and loss of life to Sgt. Edward O’Grady and Police Officer Waverly Brown, and Brinks security guard Peter Paige. As a result of that, Paul and I came up with the idea to draft a resolution.”
The resolution condemns Columbia and requests the university sever all ties with Boudin, an adjunct professor with the school. It also asks the university to offer written apologies to the victims’ families.
The resolution passed 4-0 at Tuesday’s meeting, with Councilman Dennis Troy absent from the meeting.
“It’s not even in the grey area whether this woman should be influencing and teaching young adults in college,” said Councilman Tom Morr. “They’re not children, they’re young adults, but they’re still very adaptable.”
Councilman Andy Stewart said the issues raises the question for him of just how deep the pain runs in the community from the murders.
“Can we ever forgive? And that’s a question that I think we’re going to struggle to answer,” he said. “I think what this resolution says is we’re not ready to forgive yet, but it does make me wonder, because time will tell and there’s a role for forgiveness in our community. I think it’s a value that we hold near and dear, but the time has to be right.”
The community has kept the men’s memories alive through various methods. A scholarship named in honor of O'Grady and Brown is awarded annually to support Rockland County students seeking a career in law enforcement. Each year on Oct. 20 there is a memorial service at 4 p.m. at the site of the Brinks slayings in Nyack that brings together survivors of attack, family members of the victims and hundreds of local, state, regional and national law enforcement officials. Each year at Orangetown Police Department open house, the event concludes with a ceremony honoring the four officers who lost their lives while on duty, which includes O'Grady and Brown.
The Orangetown board joins others who have expressed their displeasure with Columbia for hiring Boudin as an adjunct professor. Rockland Count Legislator Ed Day and Rockland County Police Benevolent Association President James J. Kelly both came out and asked Columbia to fire Boudin.
