A Queens College English professor is facing blowback after a report said he led a Democratic Socialists of America training in Manhattan this week and urged attendees to skirt the law and lie to police. Backers frame the sessions as safety and protest-marshaling workshops, while critics say what is being taught looks a lot more like coaching people on how to get around the rules. The controversy drops a publicly funded instructor into the middle of a running fight in New York over activism, public safety and the reach of campus politics.
According to the New York Post, Dr. Walter Lucken IV, an assistant professor in Queens College’s English department, led a workshop on the Lower East Side this week. Attendees told the outlet he advised participants to “skirt the law and lie to police.” The Post also detailed what it said was his compensation package and reported that CUNY did not respond to its request for comment.
Queens College lists Dr. Lucken on its English faculty roster in Delany Hall, confirming his position at the school. Queens College SEEK program. Public payroll records show a CUNY salary in the roughly low six-figure range last year, a figure that outlets have pointed to in describing him as taxpayer-funded. GovSalaries.
What the Red Rabbits Say They Do
In DSA’s own description, the Red Rabbits Security Commission exists to standardize chapter training on de-escalation, Stop the Bleed trauma care, basic unarmed self-defense, firearm-safety basics and protest marshalling, with a stated aim of having trained marshals in about 40 percent of chapters. The group presents the initiative as focused on safety and preparedness rather than confrontation. Democratic Left / DSA.
Critics Say Some Trainings Go Further
Independent reporting and critics have noted that some local Red Rabbits or chapter security trainings have gone beyond basic de-escalation. Documented tactics have included bicycle “corking” to block intersections, umbrella phalanxes, wound-packing instruction and chemical-exposure drills, and skeptics warn that these kinds of activities could bring legal risk or political backlash. Observers have also argued that the program may invite questions about whether certain activities line up with the organization’s tax status. City Journal.
Why It Matters Locally
The fact that a faculty member at a publicly funded college is involved in this kind of political training has sharpened questions about what sorts of off-campus activism are appropriate for employees whose salaries come from public money. The New York Post reported that CUNY did not respond to its inquiries, while Queens College SEEK program listings simply show Dr. Lucken’s departmental affiliation.
For now, DSA’s published materials emphasize that the Red Rabbits curriculum is meant to keep events safe and to provide basic medical and crowd-management skills. Watchdog outlets and some commentators counter that certain chapter practices have at times edged into more confrontational territory. The dispute highlights ongoing friction in New York over how far activist organizing should go, what counts as responsible public safety, and what is expected of people who work for public institutions.
