We Demand Chair of Brooklyn CB9 Fred Baptiste Resign

We Demand Chairman
Fred Baptiste Resign!

Brooklyn Community Board 9 is a classic example of how politics work against a community. For example: A lot of Chairs of community boards are hired within the city government and it is there they are “brought” to ensure the political will, not of the people, but outside entities are adhered to.

This year, Fred Baptiste, chairman of CB9 (who was hired at the same time to be the chief of records for the Manhattan DA) got a substantial raise of $22,000 and then instituted a regime of abuse; violations of the law; racially polarizing comittees; removal of members from committees without due process; the destruction of one committee; and the take over of another.

The goal: To upzone Empire Blvd and the surrounding Area: Flatbush, Bedford, Franklin and Rogers Avenues, in the Crown Heights/Flatbush Area of Brooklyn.

First, City Councilwoman Crystal Hudson promised to do an up zoning of CB9’s community like the Atlantic Ave rezoning.  Then Borough President Reynoso made a promise to the developers that he would be able to deliver Empire Blvd to them. (This was his compensation to them for his “No with Conditions” vote on the Brooklyn Botanic Garden rezoning).

Reynoso also demanded that CB9 stop voting straight No’s on rezoning applications and switch to “No with Conditions”.

Below is a complaint letter that we sent to Fred’s boss, the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg demanding an immediate investigation. However, we will briefly list all of his transgressions as of this year.

1. Racially polarized both the Landuse and Housing committees.
2. Merged the Housing and the Landuse Committee, without consent.
3. Removed the Chairperson of the Housing committee, when she did not agree to the merger.
4. Decided to chair 40% of CB9’s committees, “Housing, Public Safety, Executive and General Board”.
5. Changed the Landuse Committee’s vote from a straight No to “No with Conditions”, without exposure or consent.
6. Created a resolution on a rezoning application all by himself and then presented it to the general board for a vote.
7. Fred approved the Chair of Landuse “Suki Cheong” to present a “District Wide Landuse Framework” without the review and approval of the Landuse Committee or the public.
8. Proposed removal of all housing committee members, without due process, investigation or even notification to the members.
9. Failed to respond to Freedom of Information Requests. 

Manhattan District Attorney                                    January 13, 2025

163 West 125th Street, Room 733
New York, New York 10027|
Att: Mr. JP Gutierrez

Email: JGutierrez@Dany.NYC.gov 1(212)-355-9000

Dear Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg:

While your office is investigating and charging Mayor Eric Adams, his associates and staff with unlawful conduct, it is your own staff that needs to be investigated for violations of the law.  How can the people of NYC trust our officers and agencies that are suppose to weed out corruption and stem the tide of unlawful behavior if their own house is dirty?

I’m speaking about your head of records, Mr. Fred Baptiste who is also the Chairperson of Brooklyn Community Board 9.  Mr. Baptiste, who had no experience, became the head of your records department at the same time he became the Chairperson of CB9.  His conduct during the past year, has amounted to various violations of: CB9’s bylaws, Open Meetings Laws, and Freedom of Information law (FOIL), while at the same time * he got a substantial raise. 

In regard to the FOIL, the community had to file a lawsuit, against Mr. Baptiste and CB9  (Boyd vs. Reynoso Index # 966/24), a few months ago for his failure to comply with a FOIL request, because he claimed he had no information on his board members except their names.

As the head of your record department that is one of Mr. Baptiste’s primary roles: to adhere to and respond to FOIL requests.  To have a lawsuit filed against your chief of records for his failure to follow the FOIL laws attests to his unlawful behavior which continues to go unchecked. Below are other violations of the law exhibited by Mr. Fred Baptiste.

Mr. Baptiste is Appointing Himself to Be Chair of 40% of CB9’s Committees

1. Instead of appointing chairs for various committees, (Housing and Safety), as directed by CB9’s Bylaws, Mr. Baptiste continues to chair these committees and thus is currently chairing 40% of the committees of CB9, which include Safety, Housing, Executive, and the General Board.

Stacking Landuse Committee With White Males who are Pro-developers and Pro-Gentrification

1. In September Mr. Baptiste purposely stacked the Landuse committee with White male pro-development members. Not one Black female board members is apart of the Landuse Committee despite CB9’s community being a predominately black community.

CB9’s Dysfunctional Housing Committee

1. The Housing Committee, which is comprised almost all Black females, has not met once since September of 2024, despite the community’s desperate need for support in our housing affordability crisis, along with landmarking applications. Mr. Baptiste; (1) fired the chair, who then resigned from CB9; (2) refused to replace the chair; (3) refused to allow the committee to meet independently as a committee; and (4) has insisted that the  Black female committee members provide cover for the mostly all White male Landuse Committee (sited above). The Landuse committee conducts its business while the Housing Committee members look on in silence.

Fred is Writing His own Policies and Resolutions to be Passed by Community Board 9

1. In June of 2024, Fred Baptiste wrote a “Landuse Policy” that was not vetted or approved or even seen by any committee, and the public including the CB9’s Landuse Committee. He snuck the policy onto the June 2024 voting items during the Business section of the meeting, during the confusion and rush of the election process.

1. In December of 2024 the Landuse Committee members found out about this so called “Landuse Policy” that was voted in by CB9 in June and refused to include this policy in their resolution for they did not know its contents or anything about it.  Thus, Fred decided to write his own Landuse resolution which included reference to this “policy” and other items, instead of the Landuse Committee’s resolution and has presented his version to CB9 for approval.

Refusal to Conduct Hearings 

1. Despite the law and the directive of the Brooklyn Borough President, Fred Baptiste has refused to conduct any hearings on any issues depriving the public of the opportunity to weigh in on important issues facing the community.  This has also prevented the board members (most of them are new) from obtaining more in-depth analysis  about issues other than a simple resolution presented during a two minute presentation.

Finally, during Mayor Eric Adams tenure as Borough President countless complaints and lawsuits were filed against him and his staff.  If any of the agencies had bother to investigate and curtail this unlawful behavior it might have actually prevented this wide spread corruption and unlawful behavior that you are now disclosing and prosecuting.

This same principal applies to your own staff members.  Thus, on behalf of the CB9 community, we are asking that Mr. Baptiste’s behavior be investigated and that his willful conduct to control all aspects of a democratic process be curtailed and stopped.

Corruption Hurts Everyone: the community, the board members and our political institutions.

If there is anything else you may need from me, please feel free to contact me at the below information.

Alicia Boyd
MTOPP

(718) 703-3086

cc: Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso

*According to NYC data, Fred Baptiste got a $22,303 raise in 2024, which is double the combined total of all of his other years as Chief of Records for Manhattan District Attorney.