Respect Isn’t Optional: Calling Out Toxic Behavior in Pomfret’s Leadership

This morning I attended my first Pomfret Board of Selectmen meeting at the Community Center. The Board of Selectmen, also known as the BOS, meet every first Monday at 6:30 p.m. and every third Monday of the month at 8:00 a.m.

I felt it was essential to attend this meeting to read and hand-deliver a letter I had sent to the BOS over the weekend, addressing a letter submitted to our Board of Education in reference to a blog I wrote before taking office.

You can read that blog here: https://www.parentsforpomfret.com/post/when-priorities-miss-the-mark-how-pomfret-could-have-used-arpa-funds-to-build-a-better-playground-f

If you go to the Pomfret Community School's website, you will find an official copy of the letter that was written about my post, and I have included it here for easy reference:

I responded to this letter with one of my own for multiple reasons. First, I do not appreciate general, blanket accusations of "misinformation". If you are going to accuse me of wrongdoing, you had better be specific AND accurate with that accusation. Secondly, I do not appreciate an attempt to blindside me at my upcoming first Board of Education meeting taking place this Wednesday evening. That is uncalled for. Here is my official response to this letter, making false accusations in reference to the above blog posted back on November 2nd:

Furthermore, I requested that this letter be submitted in its entirety with the Board of Selectmen minutes when they are published. We will wait and see if that happens.

I will say, I was quite disgusted with how we were treated when we walked into the room this morning. As Martha Emilio, I, and Chris Coyle entered the room where the meeting was scheduled to take place, Selectman Patrick McCarthy said, "Here comes the three stooges". His body language and face were expressing his disgust for us while he verbally insulted us. That is uncalled for. We are ALL elected officials in this town, and let me remind the BOS that they represent EVERYONE, not just those they agree with.

Martha Emilio shared my most recent social media post calling this disgusting behavior out online, and the Pomfret Democrat Town Committee Chair's wife made excuses for this kind of behavior, commenting, "Really, if that's the worst thing you have been called. Consider yourself lucky. I've been called worse by Republicans driving by my house."

Let me make this CRYSTAL CLEAR - this is NOT Republican versus Democrat!!! We ALL represent the People of Pomfret and have a duty to do so with integrity, respect, decency, and ETHICS, despite Pomfret Democrats publicly stating we don't want an ethics commission here in town. We will NOT tolerate this type of behavior and will continue to shed light on the crooked practices of bullying and intimidation that have been used to try and silence us for far too long.