Barnhart Accuses Bello of Hypocrisy as Monroe County Joins Lawsuit Over DEI Funding

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello is defending his administration’s decision to join a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s restrictions on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, even as one of his fellow Democrats accuses him of hypocrisy.

Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart and Monroe County Executive Adam Bello

Bello announced Thursday that Monroe County is joining other municipalities in suing the federal government over new grant conditions that he said unfairly target local DEI efforts. The county’s Federal Aviation Administration funding — critical for infrastructure projects at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport — could be cut if the conditions remain in place.

“Punishing us for that commitment is unfair, unlawful, and harmful to Monroe County taxpayers,” Bello said in a statement. He pointed to bipartisan efforts that established the county’s DEI department in 2020 and created the Minority and Women Business Enterprise certification program in 2021. Under Director David Scott, Bello said, the department has expanded opportunities for underrepresented businesses, ensured compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, provided language access services, and supported local veterans.

The administration framed the lawsuit as necessary not only to preserve FAA funding but also to protect jobs tied to airport infrastructure projects and to defend the county’s right to govern effectively. “Local governments across the country should not be forced to choose between doing what is right for their residents and receiving critical federal funding we are entitled to,” Bello said.

Barnhart’s critique

But Legislator Rachel Barnhart, a Democrat representing Rochester's 17th district, said Bello’s actions ring hollow. In an Aug. 21 editorial titled “DEI or CYA”, she argued that Bello only invokes equity when federal dollars are at stake.

“Joining this lawsuit is the bare minimum any leader should do to stand up to Trump,” Barnhart wrote. “For Bello, doing the bare minimum has become a pattern — and his sudden concern looks driven more by dollars than by principles.”

Barnhart said Bello has been “silent” on Trump-era raids in immigrant communities, the city’s sanctuary status, attacks on transgender rights, and efforts to restrict the teaching of Black history. She also highlighted Avelo Airlines’ deportation flights out of Rochester, calling them incompatible with the spirit of an airport named for abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

“Standing by while Avelo profits from our airport … is completely at odds with DEI principles,” she wrote.

Barnhart further criticized Bello’s political alliances, including his support for Sheriff Todd Baxter and Deputy County Executive Jeff McCann, who are both backed by the Conservative Party, which opposes DEI.

National fight over DEI

The lawsuit is one of several being filed across the country by municipalities and states resisting the Trump administration’s latest effort to scale back DEI initiatives. The administration’s policy ties compliance with its restrictions to federal funding — a move that critics argue amounts to coercion and could strip millions of dollars from local governments.

For Monroe County, Bello said the stakes are clear: without FAA support, major airport upgrades would stall, jeopardizing local construction jobs and regional transportation needs. The Bello administration has not yet disclosed the exact amount of funding at risk, but FAA airport grants typically run into tens of millions of dollars annually.

What’s next

Barnhart has called on Bello to take stronger public stances on immigration, LGBTQ rights, and racial justice if he wants to be seen as a genuine defender of equity. Bello, meanwhile, maintains that defending the county’s DEI department through the courts is both a moral and practical necessity.

We reached out to the Bello administration for comment but they did not respond prior to the publishing of this story.