City's Transportation Union Sues NYCLASS Over Alleged Misinformation Campaign
The city's largest transportation union has filed a lawsuit against the animal rights group NYCLASS, accusing it of spreading misinformation about the carriage horse industry in an effort to pave the way for developers who want to tear down stables and build luxury hotels.
The Transport Workers Union is seeking at least $1 million in damages from NYCLASS. The lawsuit comes just two months after Mayor Eric Adams called for a ban on Central Park's carriage horses, citing concerns about public safety and animal welfare. However, the union claims that NYCLASS has been peddling false narratives to justify the ban.
According to the lawsuit, NYCLASS co-founder Steve Nislick made comments in 2010 stating that eliminating the horse industry would "free up a lot of real estate" β a claim that the union believes is proof that the group's true motive is not to protect animal welfare but rather to push developers' interests.
NYCLASS was founded by real estate executives, and their Vice Chair Alexander Kemp alleges that they are more interested in acquiring land for luxury developments than in genuinely protecting horses. The union points to online posts made by NYCLASS as evidence of the group's misleading campaign against the industry.
The lawsuit also claims that legislation aimed at banning the carriage horse industry is based on false information, and that NYCLASS has been lying about the underlying causes of recent horse collapses on city streets. The Transport Workers Union is adamant that the drivers who work with the horses are not to blame for any accidents or incidents.
As the debate over the future of the carriage horse industry in Central Park continues, the lawsuit marks a new escalation in the conflict between NYCLASS and the union representing the workers. NYCLASS has responded by accusing the Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen of betraying his own constituents, who are put at risk when horses run out of control.
The Central Park Conservancy has come out against the industry for the first time, but Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's stance on the issue remains unclear. With the lawsuit filed and the debate raging on, it remains to be seen whether NYCLASS will ultimately succeed in banning the carriage horse industry or if the Transport Workers Union can protect its members' livelihoods.
The city's largest transportation union has filed a lawsuit against the animal rights group NYCLASS, accusing it of spreading misinformation about the carriage horse industry in an effort to pave the way for developers who want to tear down stables and build luxury hotels.
The Transport Workers Union is seeking at least $1 million in damages from NYCLASS. The lawsuit comes just two months after Mayor Eric Adams called for a ban on Central Park's carriage horses, citing concerns about public safety and animal welfare. However, the union claims that NYCLASS has been peddling false narratives to justify the ban.
According to the lawsuit, NYCLASS co-founder Steve Nislick made comments in 2010 stating that eliminating the horse industry would "free up a lot of real estate" β a claim that the union believes is proof that the group's true motive is not to protect animal welfare but rather to push developers' interests.
NYCLASS was founded by real estate executives, and their Vice Chair Alexander Kemp alleges that they are more interested in acquiring land for luxury developments than in genuinely protecting horses. The union points to online posts made by NYCLASS as evidence of the group's misleading campaign against the industry.
The lawsuit also claims that legislation aimed at banning the carriage horse industry is based on false information, and that NYCLASS has been lying about the underlying causes of recent horse collapses on city streets. The Transport Workers Union is adamant that the drivers who work with the horses are not to blame for any accidents or incidents.
As the debate over the future of the carriage horse industry in Central Park continues, the lawsuit marks a new escalation in the conflict between NYCLASS and the union representing the workers. NYCLASS has responded by accusing the Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen of betraying his own constituents, who are put at risk when horses run out of control.
The Central Park Conservancy has come out against the industry for the first time, but Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's stance on the issue remains unclear. With the lawsuit filed and the debate raging on, it remains to be seen whether NYCLASS will ultimately succeed in banning the carriage horse industry or if the Transport Workers Union can protect its members' livelihoods.