New York bill would make ‘masked harassment’ a crime
The bill would create the crime of “masked harassment” under the state’s existing harassment laws and contains several exemptions for people who wear masks for medical reasons or during cold weather, among other carve outs.
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A proposal introduced in the New York Legislature on Thursday could make it a crime for people to wear face masks to harass or threaten someone.
The bill would create the crime of “masked harassment” under the state’s existing harassment laws and contains several exemptions for people who wear masks for medical reasons or during cold weather, among other carve outs.
State Sen. James Skoufis, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said his intention is to create a law that will allow law enforcement to go after people who wear masks to intimidate or threaten others, rather than trying to establish a widespread ban on face coverings.
His bill would make it a misdemeanor for a person to wear a mask “for the primary purpose of menacing or threatening violence against another person or placing another person or group of persons in reasonable fear for their physical safety.”
