Statement about the Altercation at Candidates’ Night at the Beczak Environment Center on
10/21/26
The NYCD16/15-Indivisible Steering Committee condemns the violence that occurred near the end of a successful “Candidates’ Night” at Yonkers’ Beczak Center on Wednesday, October 21 – an event cosponsored by the Hudson River Community Association and Ludlow Park Residents Association.
We believe that in a democratic society, citizens should have direct access to candidates running for office. Wednesday night’s event was an opportunity for just that: to hear from all candidates whose districts crisscross the Yonkers community and beyond.
In such a setting, we expect both the candidates and audience to exhibit respect for each other and for their differing opinions. Candidates, while holding themselves to a high standard of civility when responding to audience questions, should also feel safe to express themselves without being threatened.
Those standards clearly were not upheld near the end of Wednesday’s forum. An altercation occurred when the Democratic candidate for County Legislative District 15 was confronted in the women’s restroom of the facility by two women associated with the Republican incumbent’s campaign.
A thorough investigation by the Yonkers Police Department must answer many questions about the
altercation and the YPD’s resulting actions.
Significantly, why was candidate Kisha Skipper the only one of the three women apparently involved
in the altercation who was handcuffed and taken to police headquarters? (She was subsequently
released without charges being pressed.)
Who were the eyewitnesses interviewed when the police arrived on the scene, before taking the
candidate into custody?
Will video footage from the Beczak hallway, showing the sequence of two women entering the rest
room after the candidate, then shutting the door that is always left open, be made public?
Will the Westchester District Attorney investigate the incident? There has been a continuing pattern
of harassment and intimidation on the part of incumbent Legislator Nolan’s campaign.
Call to action:
Email the Mayor’s office (Mayor@yonkersny.gov) and the Police Commissioner
(police@ypd.yonkersny.gov) and call for a thorough, transparent investigation of this incident.
Call on the Westchester District Attorney (https://www.westchesterda.net/divisional-phone-
directory) to investigate this incident.
Our group is among many expecting a fair and public accounting of this event.
We thank the staff of the Beczak Center, most of whom volunteer countless hours, for being a community hub for all of us. We will support all efforts to keep the Beczak Center the open and peaceful gathering place it has been for 30 years.