Anti-mask activist fired from city job for sneaking into mayor’s press conference to confront him

A judge’s ruling against the New York City mandate was repealed last week

A New York anti-mask activist has been fired from her city job after she confronted New York City mayor Eric Adams about mask requirements for toddlers.

Daniela Jampel, founder of the #keepNYCschoolsopen campaign, was fired after she confronted Mr Adams during his press conference on Monday, according to the New York Post and NBC New York.

A spokesperson for New York City’s law department said in a statement that Ms Jampel had been fired because of her “troubling claims about her work for the city Law Department”, both outlets reported.

“Her decision to lie to City Hall staff and state she was a journalist at today’s press conference demonstrate(s) a disturbing lack of judgment and integrity,” the statement continued. “As of today, she is no longer an employee of the Law Department”.

Allegedly posing as a journalist to enter the briefing, she asked Mr Adams why he had “reneged” on an earlier promise to lift a masking requirement for toddlers in New York City, having told parents last month that such a move was possible.

Daniela Jampel, a campaigner against school mask mandates in New York (NBC4 New York)

“Three weeks ago, you told parents to trust you that you would unmask our toddlers,” Ms Jampel said. “You stood right here, and you said that the masks would come off April 4. That has not happened.

“Not only did you renege on your promise, you had your lawyers race to court on Friday night arguing that there would be irreparable harm if children under five are allowed to take off their masks today along with their older siblings in school,” continued Ms Jampel, after being allowed to continue speaking by the mayor’s staff.

“So my questions are, what is the irreparable harm to children aged two to four take off their masks, just as they do in Long Island, just as they do in Westchester? When will you and will you unmask our toddlers?”

New York City mayor Eric Adams on Monday (NBC4)

The protest at Mr Adams’s press conference came amid a small increase in the Covid case rate in New York, with medical experts reportedly advising the mayor to keep the mask order for toddlers in place while a vaccine is unavailable for the group.

On Friday, the mayor’s office angered anti-mask parents by repealing a judge’s ruled against the city’s mask mandate amid a slight uptick in cases of Covid-19.

“I think it’s imperative that due to the rise in cases that we’re seeing, as slight as they are; our plans were to take a week to assess the numbers before removing masks to two- to four-year-olds,” said Mr Adams, defending his decision.

Ms Jampel said on Monday evening: “My statement is that I am retaining counsel and will not litigate in the press....Thank you all for your support. It’s been a circus for the past few hours but I am hearing and seeing all of your supportive texts & DMs. The fight continues.”

While the activist has become a prominent voice against masking requirements for children, many US states and cities have already announced an end to mandatory rules for mask wearing. Studies have meanwhile shown that masks are effective for stopping the spread of the disease.

The Independent has approached the city and Ms Jampel for comment.