From left: sex offender William Barnason, Senator Charles Schumer, and state Assembly member Micah Kellner
William Barnason, an Upper West Side superintendent and a convicted level-three sex offender who spent almost 15 years in prison for assaulting underage girls, has been ousted from his job and no longer has access to the approximately 50 apartments he once oversaw since news broke about his criminal past. But his employment termination could have further-reaching consequences. The story galvanized New York politicians like state Assembly member Micah Kellner and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, who are pitching legislation that would bar those convicted of serious sex crimes from working as supers. Schumer pointed to the Barnason case as a main catalyst for the proposal. “The aim of our legislation is to prevent a frightening and potentially dangerous situation like this from ever happening again,” Schumer said.