"Kind Poet" Ryan Carson Remembered as Paladino Sued by Partner for False Claims

NYC Councilmember Vickie Paladino made the false claims on social media in 2025.

Per a newly filed lawsuit, Queens City Councilmember Vickie Paladino is being sued for defamation by Claudia Morales, the bereaved partner of Ryan Thoresen Carson.

Carson died in Brooklyn on October 2, 2023, after being randomly assaulted. Morales was present, called 911 immediately, and cooperated fully with law enforcement authorities. The assailant was later sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

Around 22 months later, Morales posted a photo during the 2025 election cycle with then-Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Unprovoked, Paladino reposted the photo to X, and falsely claimed Morales did not immediately call police and did not cooperate with the investigation because she “likely” wanted to “ensure the murderer walked free” due to her political beliefs. Paladino made no attempt to provide evidence for her false claims.

Following Paladino’s post, Morales faced a “sustained harassment campaign” from the Councilwoman’s supporters.

The lawsuit follows Paladino settling a case with the City Council after being charged with disorderly conduct for posting sweeping, discriminatory statements targeting Muslims in New York.

Ryan Thoresen Carson

Ryan Carson grew up in East Bridgewater, MA and attended college at Pratt Institute. He was a poet, musician, and dedicated activist. Making the world a better place was his life’s work.

Ryan worked with New York Public Interest Research Group on environmental advocacy and founded the NO OD NY campaign, which aimed to end overdose deaths in New York State by creating Safe Injection Facilities, “where people who use opioids can access life-saving medical care, connect to social workers and resources within their communities, and be treated with respect.” He also raised funds for an awareness walk for the initiative from NYC to Albany. Ryan’s passion for opioid overdose activism came following the death of his friend, Eli Todd, in 2016.

New Paltz Village Mayor Alexandria Wojcik knew Ryan Carson from their work together at NYPIRG years before his death.

When reached for comment, she said the following: “Ryan would have wanted us to turn the grief we all feel since his tragic murder into an opportunity to advocate for mental health services and housing for all – and would have hoped we all, especially Claudia, could have some space to feel all the feelings that go with losing a dear friend in such a horrific way. As an activist-in-elected-office, I am sickened by Paladino’s use of my friend’s murder to promote her MAGA right wing agenda, and her reckless decision to put survivors in harm’s way via these public statements.”

Asked about Ryan, she referenced his kindness, Progressive politics, and his work on NoODNY “Ryan was a poet, both in reality and in the way he carried himself. He was kind. Truly a good person. I miss him a lot. Ryan’s politics were progressive, always inclusive, always about casting a wider net, keeping the spectrum of allies in mind.

Ryan made New Paltz a stop on his hike across the state to bring attention to the overdose crisis and to put pressure on decision makers to work towards real solutions such as overdose prevention centers, and like with everything Ryan did, we found a way to make our No OD event include the DIY punk scene. It was a beautiful, uplifting, respectful, and I think impactful event. Attendees got Narcan trained, heard some powerful words, danced to some awesome folk punk tunes, spoke with our County Sheriff about harm reduction, and left feeling like we all made a difference. That’s how Ryan always showed up in every space.”

In reading about Ryan’s life and death, none struck me as deeply as an essay read aloud by Claudia on the two year anniversary of Ryan’s death, at Herbert Von King Park.

Reading it made me feel as if I knew him. As if I could look over and seamlessly slip into a conversation about what remedies are needed to address the world’s ills or how to best roll up a J. Like I could imagine being up late into the night, drinking in all the world has to offer with him. It would seem…this is simply who he was. Someone able to bring out the best in all of us. None of us can do this essay justice, so I encourage you to read it for yourself when you have some time to take it in.

In the meantime, I hope these words suffice.

Ryan Carson was a Marxist-Leninist for who making the world a better place was not a hobby, but an obligation. Ryan met that obligation through a variety of ways. He canvassed, protested, marched, and sang.

However, perhaps his greatest asset to the cause of advancing Democratic Socialist principles of liberation and justice was his joy for life. It seems Ryan could make anyone believe the hope of a better tomorrow was worth fighting for by tangibly taking action, and then guiding people on that journey.

Achieving this is a rare gift. It’s someone who can ask you to take a leap of faith outside your comfort zone, while simultaneously making you feel confident they will be at your side the whole way. An ability to not just inspire, but then tangibly organize and instill trust along the way.

Will we ever know how many Ryan Carson mobilized in the pursuit of a brighter future for people they may never know? How many did Ryan Carson inspire to look within themselves to try something scary and new, but exhilarating after they gave it a shot? Even now, years after his passing, a writer who never knew Ryan Carson sits here having read about this person and asks: “What more can I do, how much more of life can I pack into my tomorrow?”

The people that Ryan showed how to believe in themselves in ways they didn’t yet know how, remain. In hearing his story, their numbers may even grow. We will never know how many came back to the next event because that particularly generous person left them with such a positive impression last time. We will never know how many of them became Zohran 2025 canvassers, NYC-DSA 2026 phone-bankers, or activists in their own unique, equally important ways.

It is through those people, who were likely at victory parties across the city just this past June 23rd, 2026, that Ryan was with us all that night. It is through those people and through all of us each and everyday, in the heart, soul, and very essence of this movement, Ryan Thoresen Carson will forever remain.

Edited By: River Shi