By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS --A City Councilman accused of aggressively touching a staff member won the backing of 150 supporters at a Washington Heights rally.
Some of Ydanis Rodriguez's fans claim he's a victim of a misinterpretation of Latino culture.
"We are with Ydanis, together in the fight," the crowd chanted in Spanish Friday night.
The group called on the City Council's Standards and Ethics Committee to hold a public hearing into allegations that he aggressively "touched” the female City Council staff member during an argument.
“There is malicious intent in these accusations,” Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat told the crowd, describing Rodriguez as a man with a “noble heart who is passionate about his beliefs.”
“They have proposed actions against him that could ruin his career,” he added. “And he’s barely just begun.”
Rosita Romero, director of the nonprofit Dominican Women's Development Center, spoke to the crowd, calling Rodriguez a “nonviolent man” who puts the community’s needs first.
“I believe this has been taken out of cultural context,” she said, referring to Latino culture.
“I understand that when we speak we take a certain liberty with touching others. This is not a violent man, this is a strategy to destroy and rob us of what is ours.”
Rodriguez's office called for the meeting after learning that the ethics committee planned to hold its hearing in private on Wednesday, July 28, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. to discuss the alleged altercation.
The accusation centers around a City Council budget meeting held on Friday, June 25.
Petitions passed around in English and Spanish for attendees to sign demanded that the hearing be made public so that constituents can form an opinion based on evidence presented.
Joined by his wife, Yarisa Christina Rodriguez Melendez, who spoke on the verge of tears, Rodriguez denied the accusations that he touched anyone in a threatening manner and asserted that the committee has denied him an opportunity to meet in pubic with his accuser, who is reportedly not on his staff.
“All I did that Friday was to advocate to restore funding for programs in the community,” he said in Spanish, adding later, “I am not arguing with the right for someone to make a complaint, I am just asking that the hearing be open and transparent.”
