In a shocking encounter on Wednesday night, New York Mayor Eric Adams likened a white woman's attitude to that of a plantation owner after she accused him of elevating rents in the city. The high-tension exchange occurred at Gregorio Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics in Washington Heights, where Mayor Adams was hosting a community dialogue.

Caught on video, the incident starts with Adams asking the woman to rise after she interjects him, alleging he's responsible for "raising the rent." A visibly ruffled Adams responded, “I’m the mayor of this city and treat me with the respect that would deserve to be treated. Don’t stand in front like you treated someone that’s on the plantation that you own.”

NYC Mayor Eric Adams puts a white woman in her place for having the audacity to ask him about the rising costs of rent.

“I'm the mayor of this city and treat me with the respect that would deserve to be treated. I'm speaking to you as an adult. Don't stand in front like you… pic.twitter.com/iHfbEn1lRF

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 29, 2023

The woman, identified as Jeanie Dubnau, an assistant biology professor at Rutgers University and a New Yorker of over 50 years, continued her criticism unabated. The verbal spat comes on the heels of the Rent Guidelines Board's recent decision to allow rent increases of up to 6% on one million rent-stabilized apartments in New York – a move that attracted significant backlash towards Adams' administration.

Undeterred by Adams' rebuttal that he "does not control the [Rent Guidelines Board]," Dubnau fervently continued, declaring, "You said before and after that, you supported those rent increases!”  while pointing at the mayor.

However, the barely restrained mayor responded, "First, if you’re going to ask a question, don’t point at me, and don’t be disrespectful to me," eliciting a smattering of applause from the audience. "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.”

"I answered your question – go to the next table,” concluded Adams, effectively drawing a line under the charged exchange.

He did not answer the woman’s questions.