To the Editor:

I’m writing to express my concern for an apparent double standard that has been allowed with regard to participants’ behavior at Board of Education meetings.

When members of the community showed their support for DEI initiatives in past meetings by way of clapping, the response from the Board Chair condemned the group for being “rowdy and disruptive”.

In last night’s meeting, members of the community clapped and cheered after speeches in support of unmasking students. Apart from the fact that this level of enthusiasm for encouraging behavior that will undoubtedly increase the spread of COVID and other seasonal illnesses is astonishing unto itself, why it was allowed to continue without criticism is equally astonishing.

Community spread is low because masking works. When it becomes necessary to reinstate masking policies due to increased numbers, resistance to doing so will only be higher. This is clearly problematic and their unwillingness to acknowledge this in a significant way is alarming.

On the face of it, it appears that not all parties are given equal representation and equal voice, and that support for causes and groups that board members are aligned with get more favorable treatment than those which they are not.

Apparent or real, this board shows clear bias more often than not. They do not represent the whole of Newtown, as they should.

Keith Ciociola

Sandy Hook