Respect Isn’t Partisan: My Response to the Board of Education’s False Narratives

It has come to my attention that some Board of Education members are taking to Facebook in a weak attempt to discredit my campaign, members who have an R next to their name. Members I didn't see as people I politically or professionally aligned with from the start, but I still showed them the respect they didn't earn or give to me.

I'd like to set the record straight for the public. Some candidates and elected officials may be registered to one party or another, but to me, that's not what makes them a true Republican, a Democrat, or even Unaffiliated. You can have a different opinion, but that's mine, and let me explain why.

Let's start with Brent. Currently serving on the Board of Education in his 8th year and seeking reelection, Brent's children have grown out of our school system. My first meeting with Brent was at the Republican meeting just prior to our caucus. At that meeting, I discussed my interest in running for the Board of Education and why. I have young children in the school system, currently. I have 4 more that I've raised into adulthood. I'm extremely active in PCS and have been since long before being introduced to the Pomfret Republican Committee. I had no political motives for wanting to serve on the Board of Education, I just believe I am a well-qualified candidate who practices integrity and shows up on a regular basis.

At that meeting, Brent expressed his opinion on wanting to endorse his friend (and neighbor), who is currently serving on the Board of Education, by filling a vacant seat. Someone who isn't a Republican and someone who could have always petitioned as an Unaffiliated candidate to be on the ballot, if we're staying true to our beliefs (again, in my opinion). Brent went to bat for this person, showing his loyalty isn't to true Republican values, or even true Unaffiliated values, in my opinion, but what else Brent did was completely disrespect me and our committee.

Brent proceeded to tell me, someone he knows nothing about, that I should go on the Board of Finance. He didn't know if I had any background that would make me qualified for a position like that, but Brent didn't care about that. He was strategizing from the start. You see, our committee could only nominate two candidates, and he wanted it to be him and the Unaffiliated candidate, Sara. Brent didn't even hear me out as to why I wanted to run or what my qualifications were. Once he did, his opinion didn't change, but most others were in agreement. I am well qualified.

Fast forward to our Republican caucus, I had a chance to stand up and speak to the room about wanting to be endorsed and why I felt I'd be a great candidate. Brent proceeded to interrupt me multiple times, in addition to opening the door to our private room in the restaurant we were in, to cause a distraction and make it hard for others to hear me. My husband was livid and to this day talks about Brent's blatant disrespect. Despite those failed attempts, I won enough votes to be nominated

Now Brent is claiming that our caucus wasn’t conducted properly because the Zoom link wasn’t publicly posted. That’s something I wasn’t aware of, and not something I was responsible for. However, I did share the Zoom link publicly on social media and directly with every Republican I knew. Brent shared it, too. Brent was on our committee emails right before the caucus, discussing who was hopping on Zoom that he knew. If Brent was so bothered by the way it was handled, why didn't he say that in those emails? I'll give you a hint: he wasn't bothered at all until his choice lost, and now he's using manufactured outrage as a desperate attempt at a distraction.

After our caucus, Brent was caught emailing private information over to the PDTC, but accidentally cc'd the wrong person, which is ironic given the fact that he's in the tech profession, and Brent was called out about it at the next PRTC. He left that meeting abruptly and hasn't been to one since. He and Sara have been featured on the Democrats' WINY ads, but they're not on their marked-up ballots as people you should vote for. Which is also ironic.

Lastly, Brent still has a strategy. He shared it with me at my Republican Meet & Greet, which he attended. He started by complimenting me to my face. Brent told me what an amazing campaign I was running, how I was going to win, and how it was between him and Sara on the chopping block. He told me I've run a campaign like no one has ever seen, probably not even for first selectman. He made excuses for his lack of campaigning and said he was staying quiet and that if he loses, he plans to go take the Board of Finance vacancy. This was so comical to me because he tried to steer me in that direction from the start, and I vividly remember asking him if he's so passionate about it, why doesn't he go campaign to be on the Board of Finance? He didn't want anything to do with it back at our earlier meetings. Had he done so, the other 4 candidates would have been elected, and a lot of this chaos could have been avoided. Brent also warned me that Dawne was on her way and that she was close with Sara. So much for loyalty, Brent. Aren't you also close with both of them? What did this statement even matter? At this same event, I was shown comments from Brent that he was making on Facebook, showing his lack of support for me. Can anyone trust this person?

While I had Brent's attention, I asked where the missing $120k went that seemed to have puzzled some Board of Education members at their September meeting. (Listen to the audio). Brent talked in what appeared to me as uncomfortable circles and said it's not missing; there was a ledger discrepancy because there are multiple ledgers. I asked why they had to create a new non-lapsing fund, and he explained how they want it to be separate from the town because they don't want the town to be able to use it for anything like a "community center, but I'm not against community centers". What a strange statement to make. It made me question where that was coming from. Did they previously use funds from the non-lapsing for something like a community center? The library, perhaps? I guess we'll never know. It also made me question, which ledgers are the auditors receiving for all of these "clean audits"? Something else, I guess we'll never know.....

Needless to say, Brent has lost my trust and respect. I am one of the few who still treat him respectfully despite knowing his true colors, but never mistake my kindness for weakness. I see your hypocritical comments on Facebook, and I see through your lies. Our town politics shouldn't be a game to you.

Now I will address Dawne, who has decided to bring up the fact that I blocked her on Facebook. Dawne isn't a regular participant and doesn't attend PRTC meetings. I only met Dawne after our caucus for the first time. Since then, I've seen her at 3 Board of Education meetings, all of which she comes in late for and spends most of her time on her phone. Martha and I went to Dawne's house while doorknocking, but no one answered, so we left an invite to our Meet and Greet. Dawne had one sign in her yard, and it wasn't for any of the many Republicans running.

Just before our Meet & Greet, Dawne posted a photo showing her support for Sara with one of her banners that was put up two doors down from me, aimed at my house on my dead-end road earlier that day. In my opinion, they would've been better off putting it at Dawne's or any other location since it literally has no visibility here besides a weak attempt at trying to troll me, which isn't very professional and isn't a wise use of campaign funds. Still, Dawne proudly shared it, making it look like something she hosted for Sara, which was a deception to the public, in my opinion. These people are getting really good at trying to deceive the public! Dawne came late to our event and didn't speak to me. But now she's upset she's blocked on Facebook? I'm sorry, I don't feel the need to have fake people as Facebook friends. This doesn't mean I can't be respectful in meetings and still work together; it means we won't be friends.

FACT: Some people are endorsed in our town without having true party values, and party hopping is a thing (and should be illegal)

FACT: Brent & Dawne are on the Board of Education currently, Brent's seeking reelection to serve for 4 more years, which would have him there for 12 total years if elected. If he doesn't win, he is going after the vacancy on the Board of Finance (his words)

FACT: They both helped sway a budget vote by helping authorize and distribute flyers in backpacks and posting them on the doors of where the vote took place. This is ILLEGAL.

FACT: They were both in the September 24th meeting (long after April where Dawne claims all talk about finances was buttoned up and understood) where we had Board members question missing money, where some responded it was in the hands of the town and it "rained on our rainy day fund" but now want to say that's only part of the conversation. That was the ENTIRE conversation. I'll link the 111 minutes of meeting audio for anyone who wants to listen.

FACT: Brent shared the Zoom to the caucus and never spoke out against how it was handled. Brent also tried to cause a distraction during the meeting while I spoke. He never cared who I was or what I stood for, and it's not surprising to me because he doesn't show integrity.

Make no mistake, I can work with all kinds of people, and I'm very good at seeing people's true colors and motives. My kindness should never be mistaken for weakness. We won't be friends because I only associate myself with people with integrity and values, but that doesn't mean I can't work well with them on the Board of Education. If anything, I think this demonstrates why our town NEEDS me there to keep them in check from making any more expensive mistakes, or WORSE, breaking any more laws.

Vote wisely, Pomfret!

Link to entire meeting audio from 111 minutes, September 24, 2025, Board of Education Meeting for FULL transparency:

https://app.fireflies.ai/view/01K5YXMEGN9CGST0N9QM4QS47H

AUIDO FROM SEPTEMBER 24TH BOARD OF ED MEETING: