Mayor Eric Adams Signs Bill Outlawing Weight Discrimination In NYC

Mayor Eric Adams Signs Bill Outlawing Weight Discrimination In New York City

New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed into law a bill Friday which bans discrimination based on height and weight in employment, housing and public accommodations.

“It shouldn’t matter how tall you are, or how much you weigh, when you’re looking for a job, when you’re out on our town, or you are trying to get some form of accommodation or an apartment to rent, you should not be treated differently,” said Adams in a signing ceremony.

The law has an exemption for when a person’s weight or height would prevent them from performing a job’s essential requirements, the mayor said. The law is slated to take effect in 180 days, or on Nov. 22.

 

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Eric Leroy Adams is a former police officer, serving as the 110th mayor of New York City since January 1, 2022. Adams was an officer in the New York City Transit Police and then the New York City Police Department for more than 20 years, retiring at the rank of captain. He served in the New York State Senate from 2006 to 2013, representing the 20th Senate district in Brooklyn.

In November 2013, Adams was elected Brooklyn Borough President, the first African-American to hold the position, and reelected in November 2017. On November 17, 2020, Adams announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City. On July 6, 2021, the Associated Press (AP) declared Adams the winner of the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary.

Adams defeated Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election in a landslide victory. Adams was sworn in as mayor shortly after midnight on January 1, 2022. As mayor, he has taken what is seen as a tough-on-crime approach and reintroduced a plain-clothed unit of police officers that had been disbanded by the previous administration.

In efforts to improve the city’s standards of living, he has implemented a zero-tolerance policy on homeless people sleeping in subway cars alongside increased police presence.