How a lunatic ex-cop accused of killing an NYC jogger could get to work at a public school despite a ‘robust’ background check

New York City education officials say they carried out a “robust” background check before hiring Sayed Mohassib as a paraprofessional at a Brooklyn primary school. The claim has prompted questions about how he was cleared, given reports of earlier concerns during his brief periods with the NYPD and Marines and a 2024 police call to his family home.

Mohassib, 27, is accused of killing jogger Katie Suarez on 30 October and was arrested on Saturday; the article does not report a conviction. The education department says applicants undergo fingerprint-supported checks and must disclose past criminal history and adverse employment or military service, but it did not say how it verifies questionnaire answers. A former deputy chancellor and parents questioned the hiring process, while councilman Frank Morano said he plans to propose legislation and wants to establish whether existing rules are adequate.