A New York City Health Department was filmed writing a summons to an empty yeshiva building, citing a "list" to justify the procedure.
Video circulating on social media shows two inspectors visiting Yeshivat Shaare Torah on Coney Island Avenue in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, an area decreed to be a “red zone” by NY Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The yeshiva Director asked the inspectors why they were writing a summons if the building was vacant, excepting staff members performing essential tasks. The inspectors were invited inside the building and offered to look anywhere they wanted, and scrutinize any room or floor of the building they suspected of sheltering decree-violators.
When pressed to explain the procedure, the female inspector appeared to become flustered, asked not to be recorded, and concealed her badge from the camera. The only statutory justification for the executive procedure the inspector offered was to state, “we have a list”.
Yeshiva World News claims to be in possession of evidence that multiple yeshivas that were closed received fines in the past two weeks.
YWN contacted Deputy Assistant Attorney General Melinda Rogers to respond to the incident. She did not immediately comment on YWN's query.