Moreno Blasts Cuyahoga County Council For Antisemitic Protests In New Letter

The Honorable Dale Miller
President
Cuyahoga County Council
2079 East 9^th Street, 4^th Floor
Cleveland, OH 4411

Dear President Miller,

I write to express my disgust at the appalling antisemitic statements made at the Cuyahoga County Council meeting on January 28, 2025, and raise my deep concerns about your inability to lead a public meeting without hateful harassment and disruption.

Unfortunately, I had the opportunity to watch the live stream of your January 28, 2025 meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, you asked the audience to “take a moment to reflect on what is on [their] hearts.” Well, I am here to tell you what is on my heart.

Shortly after the meeting was called to order and protestors shrieked so loudly that the Pledge of Allegiance was rendered inaudible, you had the audacity to ask audience members to abide by the Council rules and expressly stated that rule violations would not be tolerated. You even warned the audience that the Sheriff’s Deputies were prepared to remove anyone who violated the rules because there were multiple rule violations at a prior meeting. 

And yet, throughout the meeting, you completely failed to maintain decorum, allowing speakers to spew antisemitic profanities and for Jewish attendees to be subjected to hateful attacks such as being told to “go die.” To say the least, this is absolutely unacceptable. But it is much more than that. 

As you may know, Rule 8 of the Cuyahoga County Council Rules requires that “speakers and members of the public shall conduct themselves in a civil and respectful manner. Any applause, outburst, or demonstration during any Council or committee meeting shall be permitted only when respectful toward all persons present and not disruptive of the proceedings at the meeting. Remarks made during public comment may not contain obscenity…” 

Frankly, I lost count of how many times Council rules were violated during the January 28, 2025 meeting. Confoundingly, I failed to hear when you even once attempted to enforce the rules. 

Wasn’t it you that said at the beginning of the meeting “that these violations were disrespectful” and “violations of these rules constitute a disruption in violation of state and local criminal statutes”? 

Ohio Revised Code 3.07 states that “any person holding office in this…county…who…refuses or willfully neglects to enforce the law or to perform any official duty imposed on him by law…is guilty of misconduct in office.” It sure sounds like more than just Rule 8 was violated on January 28, 2025 at the expense of the safety and wellbeing of Jewish attendees.

Please respond to my office no later than five days from receipt of this letter with answers to the following questions:

1. Do you think it is acceptable for the President of the Cuyahoga County Council to fail to enforce the Council’s own rules?
2. Is it a violation of the Cuyahoga County Council Rules when an attendee’s screams render the Pledge of Allegiance inaudible?
3. Is it a violation of the Cuyahoga County Council Rules when an attendee screams antisemitic slurs?
4. Is it a violation of the Cuyahoga County Council Rules when an attendee screams obscenities and profanities?
5. Did you ask the Sheriff’s Deputies to remove the attendees who violated Cuyahoga County Council Rules?
6. Do you believe that allowing repeated violations of the Cuyahoga County Council Rules is willfully neglecting to enforce the law or to perform any official duty imposed on you by law?
7. Are you aware that Cuyahoga County received approximately 13 percent of its entire budget from federal funding?