A Queens community board worker lost her pension after allegedly being fired for being a middle-aged white woman who didn’t align with the board’s progressive politics, just weeks before her planned retirement.
Veteran Manager Loses Pension in Sudden Termination
Debra Markell Kleinert, 66, served as district manager for Community Board 2 in Queens for 18 years before receiving an abrupt termination letter last month. The firing cost her a full pension after 28 years of city service. She claims board chair Anatole Ashraf, described by sources as super socialist, told her directly that demographics have changed and the board will never return to how it once was.
The timing proved particularly devastating. Kleinert had filed retirement papers for June, planning to leave on her own terms with full benefits. Instead, the board voted to terminate her in a closed executive committee meeting, denying her the pension she had worked nearly three decades to earn. She has not been told the official reason for her dismissal, though Ashraf called it a personnel matter based on performance issues.
Socialist Takeover of Local Government
The termination came just two months after the Democratic Socialists of America called for members to infiltrate lower-level government entities including community boards and parent-teacher associations to advance far-left policies. Kleinert alleges the board wanted to replace her with a more progressive staffer willing to bend rules and provide passwords that only district managers are authorized to access, which she repeatedly refused.
District managers serve non-partisan roles, running offices, collecting community complaints, and facilitating volunteer board meetings without voting or offering opinions during discussions. Kleinert maintained she executed the board’s wishes regardless of political differences, but claims escalating harassment led to her unjust termination in secrecy.
Community Leaders Rally Behind Fired Manager
Forty-seven fellow district managers signed a letter printed in the Queens Chronicle alleging personal animus drove the firing. Joseph Marziliano, who leads Queens Community Board 11 in Bayside, called the closed-door executive session vote highly suspicious. City leaders rushed to Kleinert’s defense, questioning why the board conducted the termination vote without broader transparency. Kleinert, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2020 as a Floral Park resident, said the board’s actions contradicted their stated values about ensuring everyone has jobs and food on the table.