The attorney who went viral for his foul-mouthed racist tirade against restaurant workers has gotten booted from his Madison Avenue office space and had his Yelp page inundated with one-star reviews. But he still hasn't lost his job or been disbarred — despite calls by Congressman Adriano Espaillat and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr for both of those things.
The saga of Aaron Schlossberg, who was caught on video last week spewing vile, hateful comments at restaurant workers who were speaking Spanish to customers, has been a tumultuous one. In addition to getting kicked out of his work space, the New York City lawyer has been publicly shamed online and in the media and has had to cancel meetings with potential clients.
In the latest development, the Manhattan Appeals Court ruled that it would seal two videos of the incident. The Appeals Court also dismissed an earlier lawsuit filed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which was seeking to bar Schlossberg from practicing law.
However, a New York State Supreme Court spokesman said that the ruling won't stop the disciplinary committee from investigating the attorney. The disciplinary committee is in charge of disciplining lawyers when they violate professional rules, and violations like Schlossberg's can lead to a sanction such as a censure or suspension. Generally, though, lawyers aren't disbarred because they go off on people in public, experts say. In fact, they are required to demonstrate that they have "moral character" and know the professional rules of responsibility in their home states before they can be allowed to practice.