Jersey City municipal council meeting on April 9, 2025. Photo courtesy of Jersey City Council Meeting.
We’ve got you covered with an update on this past Wednesday’s Jersey City city council meeting, where New Jersey stands with DEI, a vendor opportunity and more in this Hudson County news roundup.
Man Arrested At Jersey City Council Meeting
This section was updated on April 29, 2025 at 11:20 a.m. to reflect information provided by Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione and more information from the meeting.
A man who spoke during public comment at Wednesday’s council meeting was brought to the ground and arrested after Councilman-At-Large Daniel Rivera perceived the man’s statements—which included some profanity—as a threat.
Thomas Whitehead angrily criticized Jersey City’s scheduled flag raising for the 77th Anniversary of Israel’s Independence during public comment, according to Hudson County View.
“They have slaughtered at least 50,000 … I do not believe in your humanity. You are the byproduct of a racist capitalist society that does not care about the well-being of people. All you respect is money and power,” he reportedly stated.
“If you continue with this flag raising, and your general support of the State of Israel, myself, and I believe the people … we’ll just make your lives absolutely 100 percent the most miserable as possible. By any means necessary, we will make it impossible for you to continue to support Israel. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Rivera asked Whitehead to calm down before replying, “Okay, you gotta really relax there. And you cannot be coming here, threatening the council people like that.”
To which Whitehead reportedly responded, “F–k you.”
Rivera requested Whitehead to be escorted out, but Council President Joyce Watterman said to let him go, “he’s not doing anything.”
Video later shows Whitehead at his seat as a City Hall guard, Ward F Councilman Frank Gilmore and Watterman try to speak with him. The guard reaches for his backpack which Whiteman grabs hold of and the guard continues to keep his grasp.
In the video you hear, “Woah, woah, woah!” and later “Stop resisting!”
Other officers in City Hall came in and brought Whitehead to the floor as he was handcuffed and walked out. Afterwards, on-site police officers confirmed to Slice of Culture that Whitehead was arrested and is being charged.
On Tuesday, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione confirmed to Slice of Culture that Whitehead was arrested and is being charged with:
- Aggravated simple assault
- Disruption of meeting and procession
- Harassment
- Resist of arrest and risk of physical injury
- Defiant trespasser
Wallace-Scalcione further stated in an email:
“According to the police report, the JCPD Sergeant on site was approached by the Council President to remove a male due to his continued disruptive behavior during the meeting. While the Sergeant attempted to de-escalate the situation and ask the male, later identified as Thomas Whitehead, to leave the chambers Mr. Whitehead became aggressive, kicking and attempting to strike the Sergeant. Then, while attempting to apprehend the actor, he resisted arrest.
Upon the arrival of the additional officers, the actor was successfully handcuffed and escorted from the city council chambers. The actor was treated on scene for a small abrasion on his left knee.”
Once public comment resumed, others spoke of their dissatisfaction with the city’s flag raising for Israel; one attendee after Whitehead expressed “I’m a little shake up from what happened back there, really kind of disappointed with how that was handled.”
The incident is not shown on the posted video of the city council meeting, which would have been around 3:22:40.
According to Hudson County View, the council did not take any formal action in regard to the flag raising during the meeting.
But as of Sunday, the only event listed on Jersey City’s Office of Cultural Affairs calendar—which lists all flag raisings—was the city’s Vendor Improvement Program. And the page that was previously for the Israel flag raising was marked as “page can’t be found.”
Similarly, Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh, who is Palestinian, announced a flag raising for Palestine on May 16, but that seems to also be removed from the Office of Cultural Affairs’ website as of Sunday.
But after checking back on Monday, both flag raisings were on the calendar and the page for Israel’s Independence flag raising was fixed.
There’s A New Representative For Jersey City Ward B, But Some Feel It’s Rushed
Earlier this month, Jersey City Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey stepped down from her council seat to become the executive director of the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation.
And on Wednesday—at the same meeting that a man was arrested—Maureen Hulings was voted 6-2 to succeed Prinz-Arey as the Ward B councilwoman, which some council members deemed as “rushed.”
Hulings has been serving as the local Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) board chair. The JCMUA “operate and maintain its water and sewerage facilities in a fashion that will protect the public health and environment of all its constituents,” according to their website.
The quick appointment was deemed necessary because Prinz-Arey had abruptly resigned earlier this month. She informed the community through social media.
As for Hulings, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop reportedly nominated Hulings for the seat, explaining that he and his administration were looking for a “caretaker.”
“I’m not looking to run, but I’m involved in so many things in the city, I wanted to be considered. The mayor put me up and we’ll see what happens. I know the council members and they know how much I’m involved,” Hulings stated.
“Maureen is someone who has familiarity with municipal government, she has served on quite a few boards over the years, including the MUA, so I think she will be seamless for the next six months until the election,” he told Hudson County View.
Back at Wednesday’s extensive council meeting, some attendees during public comment said that the appointment is too rushed while a few spoke in favor of Hulings.
Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational” Gilmore was vocal on delaying the appointment so all interested candidates could be interviewed, which Ward E Councilman James Solomon seconded.
The Ward B race had three other candidates:
- Joel Brooks, who is endorsed with mayoral candidate Bill O’Dea
- Efrain Badilla Orleans Jr., who is running with mayor candidate Jim McGreevey
- Lorena Loayza, who is on ticket with mayoral candidate James Solomon
“We can’t in one light say we’re looking out for the best interests of the city when it comes to being fair and transparent but it only applies to certain instances. How do we take away that right from them to be considered?”
Solomon later stated, “We can’t say we considered every candidate when we got a resume yesterday. There is a statewide conversation about reforming how we do politics in New Jersey. We’re not practicing what we preach here in Jersey City.”
But Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh, who is endorsing Fulop’s run for state governor, countered, “I’m going to vote no. I believe Ward B needs representation right now. I believe that’s another two weeks where calls aren’t answered.”
Solomon said three at-large council members could assist with Ward B residents for another two weeks as the council combs through the other candidates, but the council ultimately went on to vote 6-2 for Hulings, with Solomon and Gilmore voting no.
To Small Businesses Looking To Showcase Their Work: This Event Could Be For You
The Catholic Action of Mary (CAM) is looking for vendors for its 47th Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo. Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo are both rooted in Filipino culture and tradition.
Santacruzan has evolved from its origins and, today, it’s a religious parade where girls are chosen to portray different historical figures while dressed in colorful attire. Meanwhile, Flores de Mayo is a month-long event in May and Santacruzan is a procession that closes out the month.
The traditional Filipino event is happening on Sunday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Manila Avenue in Jersey City.
The market is looking for those interested in showcasing:
- Flea Markets
- Local Business
- Exhibitors
- Health, Arts & Crafts
- Culture
- Children’s Toys
- Clothing
- Perfume
- Jewelry
- Antiques
- Collectibles
- Painting
- Comics
- Religious & Cultural Items
- Magazines
- Books
- Baked Goods
- Movies
- Video Games
- Electronics
If interested, you can inquire for vendor rates by contacting Freddy Burke at 551-689-0657 or [email protected]. You can also visit their Facebook here.
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New Jersey Refuses To Eliminate DEI Initiatives
New Jersey joins 16 other states that have refused to sign a letter from the Trump administration that asks states to certify that they are not using “illegal DEI” (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs and policies in schools.
The Trump administration has mandated that state education departments sign the letter to continue receiving federal K-12 funding. The federal government gives out crucial funding for low-income students and students with special needs.
The federal government sent a letter on April 3, giving states three weeks to gather signed “certifications” from different school districts that said they were not discriminating against students by using “DEI programs.” Another letter was sent directly to public schools, colleges and universities also warning to not use “discriminatory practices” under “diversity, equity and inclusion.”
President Donald Trump signed several executive orders within his first days of his second term in office with the goal of ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs nationwide, both federally and privately. Trump and his administration claims that DEI initiatives are “unfairly disadvantaged” and discriminatory against white men.
But New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his administration have rejected Trump’s call and refuted his claims, arguing that DEI programs encourage “and even require” promoting educational opportunity for students of all backgrounds.
The state utilizes its federal financial assistance to be distributed amongst its students, schools and communities as the state “scrupulously monitors the expenditure of federal funds in full compliance with state and federal laws,” state Education Commission Kevin Dehmer and Murphy wrote in their response to the April 3 letter.
Certain state attorney generals wrote to schools and colleges in their states saying the Trump administration has created “a misimpression of the impact of policies” that consider diversity and accessibility, which promote fairness in education. These states included:
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- The District of Columbia
Want To Read More? Try Jersey City Library’s Free Program For All Ages
The Jersey City Free Public Library’s Summer Learning Program (SLP) is here!
The JCFPL’s summer program is meant to encourage participation in the library’s daily programs to read—no matter how old you are. This year’s theme is “Color Our World,” and will run from June 23 through August 8.
Depending on their age group, participants will be able to participate in different challenges, activities and programs.
Some of the program’s activities include:
- Story hours
- Crafts
- STEM projects
- Performances
- Reading club for kids
- Tech classes for adults
Aside from virtual badges and a connection to the community, participants can also get incentives like a gift basket and library field trip.
To participate, you’ll need a library card and to create a Beanstack account to keep track of your progress. Adults can register themselves and for their child. You can register for the SLP here!
Know any local news we should include? Email Stella Accettola at [email protected]!
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