Eric Adams compares woman complaining about rent to plantation owner

Mayor Eric Adams compared a white woman to a plantation owner Wednesday — when she complained at a public event about rent increases in the Big Apple.

The showdown took place at a community conversation event Adams hosted at Gregorio Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics in Washington Heights.

In footage from the meeting, Adams can be heard asking the woman to stand up after she interrupts him to call out that he “raised the rent.”

“I’m the mayor of this city and treat me with the respect that would deserve to be treated,” Adams admonished.

“Don’t stand in front like you treated someone that’s on the plantation that you own.”

That woman was identified at Jeanie Dubnau, an assistant professor of biology at Rutgers University who has lived in the city for over 50 years.

A longtime public housing advocate, Adams isn’t the only NYC mayor that Dubnau has publicly taken to task.

During a 2015 townhall in Washington Heights, Dubnau called out Mayor Bill de Blasio over affordable housing initiatives using market-rate developments she said were gentrifying the neighborhood and closing down stores along Broadway.

“I understand that you want to do the best thing. You want to build affordable housing, but a lot of us are very worried about your plans,” she said in exchange The New York Times characterized as “sharp” assailment.

“The mayor’s comments are the mayor’s comments. We stand by the mayor’s comments,” was the response from Fabien Levy, Adam’s press secretary when asked about Hizzoner’s over-the-top reaction to Dubnau,

Adams’ administration came under fire last week when the Rent Guidelines Board voted to allow rent hikes of up to 6 percent on the Big Apple’s one million rent-stabilized apartments.

After Adams insisted that he “does not control the [Rent Guidelines Board,” the woman continued her rant into a microphone.

“You said before and after that, you supported those rent increases!” Dubnau insisted while repeatedly jabbing her finger in Adams’ direction.

Adams, however, was not having the constituent’s attitude.

“First, if you’re going to ask a question, don’t point at me, and don’t be disrespectful to me,” he said calmly.

Adams’ reprimand was met with a smattering of applause.

“I’m a grown man. I walked into this room as a grown man and I’ll walk out of this room as a grown man,” he continued.

“I answered your question – go to the next table.”

New Yorkers took to social media to share their thoughts on the brief confrontation.

“Good on my Mayor. This isn’t 1950’s Alabama. It’s New York City in 2023 and you don’t cop an attitude like that with a prominent Black man,” one city resident tweeted.

But others were more taken aback by the mayor’s response.

One woman, who noted that she supported Adams’ mayoral campaign, wrote he “could find another avenue to reply to this citizen.”

“He was defensive and arrogant. He made it all about himself instead of responding to her as a citizen of NYC,” she said.

Another online viewer agreed, noting that “Adams is the public servant who works for her and other New Yorkers – at least he’s supposed to.”