Ex-State Dept. Official May Have Hate Crime Charges Dropped After Anti-Bias Training

The decision to potentially dismiss charges against Stuart Seldowitz, who harassed a halal food vendor, has been criticized as a 'sweetheart deal'.

Stuart Seldowitz, a former State Department employee, was charged with a hate crime after harassing a halal food vendor in Manhattan, calling him a 'terrorist'.
Seldowitz's charges may be dismissed if he completes a 26-week anti-bias course and fulfills other requirements, according to prosecutors.
The decision has been criticized by the Council on American-Islamic Relations of New York, who called it a 'sweetheart deal'.
Seldowitz, who has no other criminal history, was also a former senior political officer in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs.
Seldowitz's lawyer, Scott Bookstein, declined to comment on the case.