Court monitor on NYCHA lead

A FEDERAL JUDGE on Thursday ordered the city Housing Authority to let a lead paint expert monitor some inspections next week for an independent look at what they’re doing.

Manhattan Federal Judge William Pauley issued the order at the request of attorney Corey Stern, who has filed a class action suit on behalf of NYCHA tenants targeting the authority’s lead paint inspection failures.

The two main plaintiffs in Stern’s suit are mothers of children living in NYCHA apartments who registered elevated blood-lead levels.

Next Monday and Tuesday, Stern’s expert will accompany NYCHA’s inspectors when they check eight random apartments for the presence of lead paint. Pauley is the same judge overseeing a lawsuit that charged NYCHA with failing to clean up dangerous mold conditions in apartments of tenants with asthma. He ordered an independent monitor to come in after deciding the authority was dragging its feet.

Public Advocate Letitia James, who’s called for NYCHA Chairwoman Shola Olatoye to step down over the inspection failures, had attorneys from her office monitor Thursday’s hearing in Pauley’s court.