School board VP Beatriz LeBron to be charged for allegedly threatening lawmaker

The Rochester city school board's vice president is set to appear in court next Thursday on a charge that she threatened a county lawmaker.

Beatriz LeBron is being charged with second-degree harassment stemming from an incident in April at a public forum held by the Monroe County Legislature .

LeBron had spoken on behalf of neighborhood groups caught up in a nonprofit’s alleged mishandling of federal COVID relief money. The Community Resource Collaborative was supposed to distribute those dollars to the groups. LeBron is the executive director of the Father Tracy Advocacy Center, one of the partner organizations. But accounts were frozen when CRC came under investigation, which in turn put significant strain on the neighborhood groups.

In her remarks, LeBron expressed concern over “misinformation” being spread by some legislators.

At the end of her speech, LeBron allegedly told Legislator Mercedes Vazquez-Simmons that she would “break her face” and referred to her by an expletive in Spanish. Video of the meeting from that moment is missing audio.

Vazquez-Simmons filed a criminal complaint, which was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. A spokesperson for the office confirmed its investigation had been completed and forwarded to Rochester City Court.

LeBron did not immediately return a request for comment. In a previous interview, LeBron said she did call Vazquez-Simmons an expletive but did not threaten her.

“I did absolutely call her a ******, and I said it loud, but I didn’t say it on record,” LeBron said.

In a Facebook video, posted Tuesday evening, LeBron further denied the allegations and called for supporters to show up to the courthouse.

“I am looking forward to going to trial, I will not be taking any pleas,” LeBron said. “I did not make any threat, it is a false allegation, and I look forward to my day in court to refute it, show the evidence, and fight the case.”

LeBron will appear before Judge Melissa Barrett. The charge is a violation, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 days in jail or a $250 fine upon conviction.

Vazquez-Simmons declined to comment.