Statement From Representative Christine Palm Re: Reg. 4

Press release from the Office of Representative Christine Palm:

November 23 2020

It is most distressing to see how a school personnel issue can rend the fabric of our small towns. Strain, loss and worry caused by the pandemic have already taken a toll on our children, so it is unacceptable now to witness that anger spilling over into personal attacks against families of our local Reg. 4 Board of Education members.

Based on innuendo and rumor, and without all the details of Coach Tim King’s alleged involvement in a private sports league and subsequent action taken, or not taken, by school authorities, some folks are rushing to judgment and verbally attacking our volunteer, duly elected Board of Ed. members. This is not only uncivil, it is illegal under Connecticut State Statutes, which forbid threatening (CGS 53a-62) and harassment (CGS 52a-183).

In an unprecedented time of a public health emergency, inflammatory rhetoric only pours gasoline on the fire. No one benefits but the selfish interests of a few.

Therefore, I urge all parties involved: Coach King, Superintendent Brian White, lawyers for both sides, members of the Board of Ed, and Coach King’s supporters to come together for the good of the community.

I appeal especially to parents of student athletes to think about their children’s peers -- all the students disappointed by the cancellation of their artistic performances, their science competitions and their civics clubs. As someone who coached Little League for 20 years, I’ve seen first-hand the power of group sports in helping young people. But modeling good sportsmanship should be central to any athletics program – school-sponsored or private – and in this moment of public health emergency, passionate parents need to ask themselves if they are modeling the kind of behavior that puts the ideals of teamwork before the limited interests of the individual.

We owe it to one another, to our overworked teachers, and to the children – both the athletes who signed up for this league and those who did not, but who are now forced to quarantine – to pull together, and not apart. That is always where any community’s strength lies.

This press release was produced by the Office of Representative Christine Palm. The views expressed here are the author’s own.