Take The Initiative

We, the undersigned, believe that the 42-acre Lachat Town Farm in Weston plays a vital role in connecting people to nature and to one another. This bond has been formed over the past 10 years as the Friends of Lachat, Inc., and the Lachat Town Farm Commission have worked tirelessly to save and restore the farmhouse and historic barns, remove invasive species, plant new gardens, and create programs and events to draw people to the Farm to learn about sustainable agriculture, beekeeping, composting, organic gardening, and other initiatives related to the Farm’s mission of education and community engagement.

Moreover, these volunteers help to fulfill the Farm’s mission of offering “spiritual refreshment” through “Music in the Meadow” concerts, tai chi and yoga classes, community gardening, Little Farmhands summer programs, and a wealth of other creative offerings. The Farm draws residents of all ages and has become a place where Westonites can meet, learn, and experience nature, whether at a class or in a meadow, while leaving the technological world behind.


The Farm is supported entirely by donations and fees from activities and is not a line item in the Town budget. Similarly, the new educational center at the Farm will be constructed with private donations and will be sustained by the Farm’s Maintenance Fund, donations, and fees.


We urge the Attorney General and all local commissions and boards with oversight of the property to affirm the Commission’s ability to offer these events, with appropriate traffic and sound controls to address any valid concerns of neighbors. We further ask that these entities expeditiously review and approve plans for the new educational center at the Farm.


The hundreds of local volunteers who work to improve the Farm, offer programs and events, and conduct outreach to thousands of Weston residents are helping to fulfill Leon Lachat’s dream of a true Town Farm. Please let us continue.

Sincerely,

The Citizens of Weston, Connecticut

In 1730, a 6 year old child was captured in Guinea, taken from his parents and brought to New England by ship amongst excrement and filth, causing him to acquire a chronic bacterial disease called Yaws. He would suffer through the pain of walnut-sized sores and disfigurement for the rest of his life. He was assigned the name Prince.

In the late 1750's, Prince was purchased by Phillip Mortimer, a wealthy Irishman starting a rope making business. Prince became a skilled Spinner.

In 1780, the Revolutionary War not going well, Congress put out a plea for men. Phillip Mortimer sent Prince, now age 56. Prince said he was servant to officers including George Washington. Many slaves were promised freedom on return, but Prince remained enslaved by Phillip Mortimer on his return.

In 1794, Phillip Mortimer died; his will granting Prince (now 70) his freedom. But his son-in-law George Starr contested the will and won. After 64 years in bondage and two reneged promises of freedom, Prince remained enslaved, now servant to George Starr.

In 1811, at age 87, Prince was sentenced to life in prison, accused of placing arsenic in George Starr's morning chocolate. He would spend the first 16 years at Connecticut's Newgate prison (considered the worst in America). In 1827, at age 103, he was transported 20 miles to the Wethersfield prison, where he would die 7 years later at age 110. He was buried in the prison cemetery. Wethersfield prison is now the location of Wethersfield's Cove Park; all that remains is a small plaque in far right field of a softball diamond denoting the location of the prison's cemetery, where Prince lies today. A mile away is Wethersfield cemetery; revolutionary war vets still honored. In Middletown, George Starr has an impressive, clean headstone, also still honored.

As I expected, little documentation of Prince Mortimer's life and Revolutionary War service exists. All that exists are the writings of Richard Phelps in his 1844 book, "Newgate of Connecticut: Its Origin and Early History", and Denis Caron's 2006 book, "A Century in Captivity", where Mr. Caron attempts to expand upon Prince Mortimer's life.

According to "Defenders of Liberty", a book by Lt. Col. Michael Lee Lanning, most black noncombatants of the Revolutionary war received neither wages nor freedom for their support of the Revolution. Owners took their pay as well as returning them to slavery upon completion; little recognized or rewarded for their service. Thus, all that exists is Prince Mortimer's life as described by himself in Richard Phelps 1844 book, along with an attempt to expand upon it by Denis Caron in 2006.

Because political paths towards celebrating service require historical documentation from a government that allowed Prince Mortimer to be taken from his parents, infected with Yaws on a slave ship, enslaved for 81 years, promised then rescinded freedom, then incarcerated for 23 years, he has never received any acknowledgement nor recognition that his life mattered. I am petitioning for this to finally end. I am petitioning for us as a nation to recognize our own lack of morality in Prince Mortimer's enslavement and the lack of equity in not documenting the service of non-combatant slaves of the American Revolution; thus I'm petitioning that we accept and honor the service account of a slave, Prince Mortimer.

Hello, my name is Michael Machernis, I’m writing this petition to stop the Connecticut General Assembly from banning vaping. As a former smoker, I turned to vaping because it was less harmful than cigarettes. The government does not have the right to tell the people how to live their lives, it is government overreach and all it will create is a thriving underground black market. I understand that children vaping is an epidemic

but restrictions such as raising the age to buy cigarettes has already been enacted. Residents should have the right to do what they want. Residents of the State of Connecticut should be able to do what they want without the government interfering with their lives.

It is completely unjustified to tell people how to live. Americans should have the inalienable right to be use something that helps them. As of May of 2021 Multiple commissions have made attempts to ban something which is supposed to help people. It makes no sense as to why we should have to elect someone who is going to take away our rights as humans, I did my research and the multiple deaths in 2019 due to vaping were not caused by nicotine at all but were caused by the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Also if e-cigs are banned, many small vape businesses will shut down and for some families, it is considered their only source of income.

It is complete government overreach and we should not have to elect an official who is trying to tell us how to live. If it is banned however, the effects will be unavoidable, as of 2021, 5 states have either enacted legislation to ban vaping or have pending legislative measures.

Citizens should not have to pay our government just so our tax dollars can be wasted on legislation that will be protested. As a resident I should not have to give up my rights and pay your salary at the same time. Members of the state general assembly get paid $28,000 dollars a year without included taxes. No resident should have to live in fear that if they vape, they will be arrested. It is complete government overreach and we as residents shouldn’t have to give up our rights just so the government can be happy. It is up to the parents on how to raise their kids, not our government. No one should have to live in fear that they will be punished for something as simple as buying an e-cigarette.


To put it quite simply, either stop the ban or the state might have to deal with the effects of ban such as riots and protests. We already have an incompetent governor who is trying to put tolls on our roads. We pay high enough taxes.

As stated in the Constitution of the State of Connecticut, Article One, Section 2:

All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit; and they have at all times an undeniable and indefeasible right to alter their form of government in such manner as they may think expedient.

In simple terms, we as residents have elected you to represent us in a manner that will not intrude on our rights as humans and if our rights are interfered on, we have the right to alter our government wether Governor Lamont likes it or not. Our rights come before his wishes. No person should have to live in a state where the government is incompetent and intrusive.


Sincerely

Michael Machernis

266 Baker Avenue Extension

City Of Groton

UPDATED (for the THIRD time): As a parent, a resident in the state of Connecticut, and an American citizen I want Governor Lamont to revoke the mask mandate in schools. Do you agree that Americans should have the freedom to decide if they want to wear a mask? Sign now! If this petition isn’t for you, just move on and stop encroaching on the first amendment rights of those who’ve signed.

Dear Governor Lamont,
I am a proud “essential” worker at Whole Foods Market in West Hartford. Every single day, 40 hours a week, I – along with thousands of other Connecticut residents—diligently make my way to work, where I serve the general public for 8 long, mostly thankless hours a day. Ask any grocery store employee and they will tell you that we work incredibly hard, all the time, receiving little appreciation from the general public. Normally this is not something that upsets me beyond a passing irritation. However, your recent inability to recognize the constant dangers that workers endure in our daily efforts on the general public’s behalf, over the last LIVING HELL of a year, by denying us a place among the first stages of 1B, is beyond reprehensible.

Enough is Enough. On behalf of all of us who have been bending over backwards every day these past 11 months, to better serve you and the general public - shame on you.
Shame on you for not recognizing us sooner and giving us the protection we so desperately need, and consistently placing us farther back in line, behind groups that simply DO NOT need the vaccine with the same urgency that we Frontline Essential workers do.
Concerned, Overwhelmed, and Out of Patience,
Alec McAlister
PS- I voted for you. This is not so much about your policies, as it is about our lives.

Start a petition of your own

Attention! Colleges and campuses may not be as safe as you think.

Did you know that...

accidents are estimated to be the leading cause of college student death by far?..
colleges are not required to publicly report all serious accidents and student deaths?
most students and families don’t think about available 911 Medical Care when making their College Checklists?
Please help make our colleges safer and save lives by signing this petition to:

Enact legislation to require colleges to publicly report all serious accidents (911 calls) and student deaths on or near campuses, while protecting student and family privacy;
Adopt protocols to ensure students have access to the best possible emergency care (Trauma Level 1); and
Require college websites (a) to post the college-associated and other relevant health facility (name, website/link) that provides emergency medical services to students in response to 911 calls, and (b) if this facility is not a Trauma-1, post the location of nearest Trauma-1 facility.
Our collective signatures call for reforms to expand our publicly reported college safety measurements which should incentivize funding to all aspects of campus and college safety. They also call for colleges to make information about their associated 911 Health Care easily accessible to the public. Visit us and join our community College911.net and on Facebook.

The Story of a Fatal Accident Exposing the Need for Change

Our beloved son Corey Hausman who was 18 years old and a freshman at the University of Colorado Boulder died tragically as a result of a fall while traveling on his skateboard across campus. He was heading to a friend’s dorm, it was dinnertime! The accident occurred on the fifteenth day of his first semester. Corey’s was the third campus death tallied in those first fifteen days. We don’t know how many other students died that year because statistically, deaths are not tracked. We were stunned to learn they are simply removed from the college’s headcount, similar to how a student’s withdrawal or transfer is accounted for. This adjustment occurs so that there is not a negative impact on the college’s metrics (retention and graduation data).

Corey was taken alone to a community hospital where he died within 7 hours. Transporting him to the highest level of care available, Trauma-1 (Denver Health) was not considered. Two thousand miles away in Connecticut, we had zero opportunity to impact his care. 911 Medical Care was not on our checklist of considerations in selecting or preparing for our son’ drop off. We wish it had.

The college has failed to make the physical safety improvements to the problematic pathway that they identified and provided to us in writing five days after the accident. Why? Possibly because neither Corey’s accident or his death were the type of events that are accounted for on his college’s publicly reported Security and Fire Safety Report. This Federally required report focuses on crime or fire related events only. A huge void exists in our college’s public safety reporting system. With your help and signature, we hope to lessen this void, save lives and make 911 Medical Care a priority for colleges, students and families.

Sincere thanks for your interest and action!

Civic minded citizens of Southwick uniting to preserve the charm & character of our town and to prevent Carvana from destroying the land. Please sign today and make our voices heard!!! We will use our collective voices on this petition to demand that the Board have open and in person meetings regarding this issue and that citizens have the free and fair opportunity to present their concerns and opposition to the Carvana proposal!!

To our horror, a new study found that rodenticides are poisoning bald eagles, our national bird, at an alarming rate. Shockingly, researchers at the University of Georgia found that 83 percent of bald eagles and 77 percent of golden eagles tested positive for these everyday mouse/rat poisons.

Many scientific studies show that if these products do not kill an animal outright, they will cause slow bleeding to death, along with birth defects, and weakening of the immune system. Unintended victims of these poisons include hawks, owls, foxes, mountain lions, bobcats, domestic pets and many other non-targeted animals.

All this proves is that it is time for Connecticut to follow California’s groundbreaking lead by putting a statewide ban on these deadly anticoagulant mouse/rat poisons. California’s bill prohibits most uses of rodenticide poisons which are harming animals throughout California (and other states).

Bald eagles had a close call in the 1960s when DDT caused widespread nesting failures and a precipitous decline throughout the United States. After the insecticide was banned, populations rebounded and the bald eagle was removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007.

Working as a federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator for birds of prey, we are seeing an increase in these devastating effects firsthand. We watch countless bird patients succumb because they ate prey from our poisoned food chain. We call upon our state legislators to ban these outrageously harmful poisons now to save countless wild and domestic animals from becoming part of the carnage and avoid the DDT tragedy all over again.

Connecticut's 169 towns and cities successfully use local zoning and planning processes to balance private property rights, the community's interests, demands on infrastructure, housing needs and economic growth.

Today, the General Assembly in Connecticut wants to stop local decision making, public hearings, input and other relevant information from being shared to a community's stakeholders when it comes to zoning. We need to tell Hartford that special interests cannot create a one-size, fits all proposal to change our local zoning laws. Land is finite and unique, and what you do with it has implications and long-term consequences. Having Hartford and bureaucrats control our land is not a solution. Local control and local input enable neighbors and the local community to provide beneficial suggestions, to identify errors and maximize community buy-in on zoning proposals.

We need to ensure that lawmakers who were elected to be our voices in Hartford respect the notion of home rule and the accountability of local government. Local zoning decisions empower all of us (residents, taxpayers and local officials) to carefully tailor the needs of our communities and our unique geographies, economies and housing needs.

Some people dont understand how making jokes can actually hurt someone and some groups just need to learn how to be a little more Diverse and this is what we want. We want schools to talk more about equal rights and how making offensive jokes arent funny,thinking one race is superior to another nor excluding someone for there physical characteristics,sexuality,beliefs,ect. Kids needs to understand that everyone is equal because the weight unfortunately falls on them and future generations and if we dont make a change know future generations will think all of this was ok, that segregation was ok,murder because of who you are was ok and many more things so help us, Help us have schools in CT talk about diversity.

Thank you

Antisemitism is on a global rampage. We cannot allow history to repeat itself - verbally and physically - on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and in our cities.

We have learned and witnessed with our own eyes the brutal and inhumane consequences of unchecked antisemitism and unbridled universal hatred.

Many of us, alumni and friends of the International March of the Living, of many faiths and backgrounds, have personally marched on the blood-stained grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau and heard first-hand testimony from survivors of these atrocities.

We have all painfully learned how “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.”

Hatred, Racism, Bigotry or Intolerances of any form have no place in our world.

We invite all who believe in our message to join us by signing our petition ensuring a better future for all.

#NeverMeansNever #SpeakUpAgainstHate

Learn more at https://motl.org

Sponsoring Organizations (in formation):

International March of the Living
Jewish Agency for Israel
Israel Bonds
American Zionist Movement
Israel Forever Foundation
Hadassah
Combat AntiSemitism
Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County, NY, USA
March of the Living Australia
March of the Living Toronto, Canada
Federation CJA, Canada
Marcha por la vida Argentina
Marcha de la Vida Mexico
March of the Living Western Region USA
March of the Living Broward County, Florida, USA
Miami’s Leo Martin March of the Living, Florida, USA
Na'amat Canada
Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Baltimore Zionist District, MD, USA
Chabad of Potomac, MD, USA
IAC
March of the Living Southern Region, USA
Maimonides Institute for Medicine Ethics & The Holocaust
Aish Los Angeles
Stop AntiSemitism
Sigi ziering institute/ American Jewish university
Friends of the March of the Living
Jeff Seidel's Jewish Student Information Centers
Fundación Emet
Masa Israel Journey
BJE LA

For more information on joining as a sponsoring organization, please email [email protected]

Connecticut 18th district representative, Jillian Gilchrest, has proposed an unconstitutional bill that will negatively impact our citizens. The right to bear arms is an unalienable right, and the 2nd amendment is the only one that specifically states shall not be infringed. The 16th Amendment states, "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration."

Any taxation, particularly those on rights granted at birth, that are not explicitly covered in the US Constitution, are against the beliefs of our founding fathers and have been ruled upon by the supreme court. Amendment 24 and precedent set in Illinois that rights cannot be taxed.

Please help fight this unconstitutional bill, and protect the only right that defends your others. We also need to abolish the federal tax on firearms and ammunition!

We, the undersigned, are proud Hartford student-athletes, students, parents, alumni, university donors, family members, staff, friends, and community members.

We are passionate contributors to a great university. We are especially proud of our successful Division I athletic department! We work hard to either compete in, or to support our 19 Division I sports, in many cases, doing both. We are members of many races and religions. We come from all 50 states and an equal amount of countries. We are both a neighborhood and a nation. We back each other emotionally, spiritually, and financially.

We are proud of our many Division I athletic successes: our NCAA Tournament appearances, our league championships, our individual achievements, and our lifelong relationships. We give extensive and positive regional, national, and international visibility to the University of Hartford. Our student-athletes not only succeed on the field but in the classroom as well. We are all dedicated to lifting up members of our community, especially the members who lean on us for strength. Many of the undersigned either pay tuition or donate significantly to our institution.

We are proud of the legacy set forth by Hartford student-athletes and supporters who have come before us. They set the bar very high.

We are strong, unified, supportive of each others’ achievements, and resolute in our commitment to continued Division I success and growth. We will not settle for anything less!

I want the problem of Homelessness in Connecticut to end since Connecticut is already one of the leading states in beginning to end homelessness. We are calling on the state of Connecticut to further increase funding and support for housing, job programs and more accessible healthcare for the homeless community.

Girl Scouts of Connecticut's long-range property plan will sell Camp Laurel in Lebanon, CT.

Please sign to help stop this plan. This impacts the future of young girls everywhere. Camp Laurel is the landmark camp for GSCT. Camp Laurel is not only a property, it is a place where girls grow courage, confidence, and character!

Girl Scouts told us the reason they are selling Camp Laurel is to reinvest into Camp Yankee Trails. The main problems at Camp Laurel concern the physical state of the camp.

The problems at Camp Laurel is the potential location for the installation of a new septic system to accommodate new showers and bathrooms. The dam, roof, and buildings need repair. The cost of the deferred maintenance is estimated at 1.5 million. The cost to renovate the property to attract future campers is estimated at 2.5 million.

The cost to repair the deferred maintenance at Yankee Trails is estimated at 2.1 million. They will put the money from the Camp Laurel sale into Yankee Trails. They are planning on making renovations at Yankee Trails, as well. They have sold Camp Patagansett and other Girl Scout camps in the past to pay for the deferred maintenance and improvement at Yankee Trails.

Demand for the Board and CEO to go back to the drawing board!

Now is the time to speak up and take action! We are their members! Do it for the girls!

We can’t let them down! The camp is not only a property, it is a place where girls grow courage, confidence, and character!

Looking for an example of WHY we need to LISTEN to our GIRLS?

Bella's Letter to the Board!

https://www.facebook.com/SaveCampLaurel/posts/123256549835942

With over petition 4,000 signatures, Girl Scouts of Connecticut is refusing to budge on their decision to sell Camp Laurel and to invest in Yankee Trails. Now is the time to speak up and show Girl Scouts Camp Laurel is NOT the camp to sell.

CEO, Diana Mahoney, met with several people and asked them several questions including:

1. What makes Camp Laurel so special?
2. Why should we keep Camp Laurel open?
3. How do we invest for future generations to come to camp?
4. Will you give Yankee Trails a shot?

My task to you is to write to the CEO and board members and answer Diana's questions. Ask them to reconsider their decision. My tasks to you is to write to the following people and answer Diana’s questions. Ask them to reconsider their decision! Please include your name, troop, relationship to Girl Scouts, and ranking. Please include any personal stories and any negative impact closing Camp Laurel will have. Please include any efforts your willing to take to keep scouting alive and Camp Laurel open!

Diana Mahoney, CEO [email protected]

Make sure to cc: [email protected]

How will you help keep Camp Laurel open?

Visit our NEW website www.savecamplaurel.com

Register for Girl Scout's of Connecticut's Annual Meeting - April 21st at 6:00 p.m.

https://www.gsofct.org/en/events-repository/2021/gsofct_annual_meetin.html

How will you help keep Camp Laurel open?

Girls did not get a say in this decision before it was made. The information the consulting firm received was from a camp exit survey. Now, they want to hear from the girls in fireside chats after the decision was already made.

GSCT has a financial decision to make, sell Camp Laurel or Yankee Trails. Their membership is rapidly declining. Selling Laurel will decrease scouting membership.

Laurel is the most well known Girl Scout resident camp in the state with a vast alumnae network. Yankee Trails has been rented out to the YMCA for the past 10 years.

There are prior board of directors members who have signed this petition, we need your help on reaching out to board members!

For any questions or concerns please reach out at [email protected]

#SaveCampLaurel

✅Sign and share petition: http://chng.it/PFxZvKzxqh

Remember to share why Camp Laurel is important to you!

✅Email [email protected] with personal stories and the impact of closing Camp Laurel will have on you and Girl Scouts!

✅Join our Save Camp Laurel Committee Group Page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1895638657259687/?ref=share

✅Help Girls Go to Camp!

Give on Girl Scouts of Connecticut. There are opportunities to provide camperships to girls who want to attend. This will help increase campers this year! Remember to designate the gift to Campership!

https://www.gsofct.org/en/give/donate.html

The gofundme page will directly support Girl Scouts of Connecticut keeping the camp open and keeping campers coming in this year! (fees apply on gofundme)

https://gofund.me/139ede44

✅Like Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SaveCampLaurel/

✅Click this link to view GSofCT's long-range property plan:
https://www.gsofct.org/en/camp/long-range-property-plan0.html

See Previous 2014 Property Plan- Camp Laurel voted to be the premier Camp for GSofCT

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1soBez2ZDbE4edD62VFUbotkN4o9ZzggF

Please be aware that donating on change.org will help spread this petition on their site, but does not go directly to the camp.

As a senior at Trinity, I think many of us can agree that in the last year, we have felt socially disconnected from one another. This petition is merely asking that Trinity follows the guidelines for businesses regarding mask wearing and social distancing set out by the state of Connecticut so that as our senior year come to an end, we can come together again for the first time in 13 months to celebrate. The timeline is as follows: May 1st: businesses outdoor restrictions lifted, May 19: all remaining business restrictions lifted, continue wearing masks indoors. As we are in the final weeks before graduation, the Connecticut COVID-19 timeline gives me and my classmates some hope that our senior year can end with a greater level of social interaction. We have a great respect for Trinity College for making strides to protect the health and safety of its students during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it would mean the world to the seniors and the entire student body to have Trinity’s protocol for opening the school be consistent with the plan that is in place for the state of Connecticut. As hundreds of students are receiving vaccines, much of the Trinity student body believes that a gradual opening in early/mid May is a reasonable request in order to give the Class of 2021 a positive conclusion to the semester.

Watch the H.B. 6267 Video

House Bill 6267 is racial justice legislation that is asking the State of Connecticut to establish a Task Force to study the impact of the institution of slavery on the current disparities facing residents of our state that are black American descendants of slavery. The goals of the Task Force is to submit a proposal of their findings that can serve as a framework for the State to develop policy and legislation to address disparities within Connecticut and to support a Federal Reparations bill, specifically for the American descendants of U.S. slavery that closes the racial wealth gap.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
This petition will be shared with legislatures in YOUR district to garner their support for this bill. America is at an important moment in addressing racial injustices. Atonement for the institution of chattel slavery and the decades of race-based segregation and racism that ranged from voting rights suppression to impediments to wealth accumulation makes this an imperative component of the justice process. Addressing the racial wealth gap for black American descendants of slavery must be the political priority. The State of Connecticut can be a leader in this national movement.

PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public hearings are when legislatures get to hear directly from the people. We will keep you posted on when the public hearings will be for this bill. WE NEED YOU TO ATTEND! I know for some of us, this may be the first time we've ever given public remarks (either verbal or written) but do not be afraid! Speak plainly and from your heart. You don't need to have any special training or experience. We will walk you through the process. Even if you don't speak, just being visible at the hearing is important. They need to SEE that this bill MATTERS!

PLEASE SHARE
Please share with your family & friends, church community, neighbors on all your social media platforms!

FOLLOW OUR PROGRESS
You can stay connected with this bill and our progress online at H.B.6267 Website or on Facebook's - Political Action CT - PACT

We, the undersigned New Haven community members, demand the immediate elimination of the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) Metal Detector Policy Guidelines for Police Personnel 1.1.26 set to be effective on 4/15/2021. Its purpose is to “ensure that no person(s) enters the CMHC in possession of a weapon, dangerous instrument, or contraband” and its intent is “to provide the safest possible environment for health care delivery.”

We see this policy for what it is: a veiled attempt for more complete surveillance and control of our Black and Brown communities seeking healing and care. Police and surveillance do not belong in places of healing. This policy upholds racism while masquerading under the guise of “safety.”

CMHC is a safety net hospital, providing recovery-oriented mental health services for over 5,000 people in the Greater New Haven area each year. CMHC serves a racially and ethnically diverse population. Many of the people coming for care at CMHC face structural violence on a daily basis and do not have access to resources to meet basic needs for food, housing, and healthcare. Furthermore, by virtue of their vulnerable socioeconomic status and government insurance card, CMHC’s clients possess few options to advocate for themselves by accessing alternate, less discriminatory clinics to receive outpatient mental health treatment.

This new policy requires all persons entering CMHC to place their belongings onto a conveyor belt of the X-ray style metal detector and then subjects them to pass through a metal detector, a handheld metal scanner, or a pat-down. Not only is this a profoundly degrading experience, it is also not evidence-based. Metal detectors are used disproportionately in schools and clinics in Black or Brown communities. But there is not conclusive evidence that metal detectors actually increase the safety for staff or community members. Research in schools has shown that medical detectors can make students of color feel less safe and can reinforce racist ideas that Black and Brown people are “dangerous.”

This policy upholds white supremacy and is cruel, inhumane, harmful, and stigmatizing toward our Black and Brown communities. It is the antithesis of the “trauma-informed care” we supposedly promote. The installation of multiple surveillance technologies at CMHC’s front entrance stands in stark contrast to local outpatient clinics which tend to serve White patients with private health insurance, many of which are within a few blocks from CMHC. These outpatient health clinics are free from the prison-like surveillance measures being implemented at CMHC, which reinforces the stigmatizing notion that CMHC patients should be uniquely feared in New Haven, instead of healed.

This policy was presented as an antiracist initiative to remove and disarm police officers from the front door, but it is clear from the policy that these “Building and Grounds Patrol Officers” are functional equivalents to police, in addition to the armed DMHAS Police Officer presence, who are themselves called to the scene should any prohibited items be found or the metal detector be activated. Individuals are still subject to criminal proceedings and removal from the premises when interacting with “Building and Grounds Patrol Officers.” We support and endorse the YSM Demands, highlighting the demand to eliminate guns, law enforcement personnel, and violent restraint from all clinical settings at YSM and YNHHS.

Finally, we boldly expose the discrepancy between CMHC’s slogan of being an “antiracist organization” and how its leadership chooses to spend the state’s limited healthcare funding. DMHAS is prioritizing the expenses of a new conveyor belt, x-ray machines, handheld wands, and other securities measures in addition to costs of salaries, retirement funds, healthcare insurance, and recruitment of an entire new arsenal of “Building and Grounds Patrol Officers.” These expenses are being robustly funded, while items necessary to fulfill CMHC’s primary mission of providing excellent and equitable mental health care are being neglected and ignored. This includes the persistence of paper charts instead of upgrading to EPIC to facilitate YNHH-CMHC communication when our clients seek care at YNHH, broken healthcare equipment like EKG machines, outdated facilities in the main building, and the persistent and inequitable discrepancy between the resources available to our government-insurance clients versus those who were born with access to a private insurance card. We assert, and medical literature supports, that countless more lives are being lost and harmed because of substandard care delivery systems and errors in communication between YNHH and CMHC than any number of harms caused by weapons or unsafe materials entering our premises. Furthermore, a truly antiracist organization must ensure funding and protected physician time to ensure equity of inpatient medical treatment when our clients are hospitalized across the street at YNHH. The presence of prison-like security at the front entrance of our clinic sends a message to the greater Yale University and YNHH community that our clients are to be feared instead of equitably and safely treated, thereby directly contributing to patient harms and death from well-documented stigma and bias against patients of color and those with mental illness when seeking medical treatment. This is not the face of an antiracist organization.

We demand town hall conversation(s) with you BEFORE these policies are implemented without fear of retaliation. We demand that you instead fund initiatives that are truly antiracist; examples include medication delivery and crosstalk across institutions via adequate electronic medical records and liaison services that uphold the standard of care and promote healing, not harm.

Click here for a full list of signatures that will be updated daily: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m3A1r9lMC46h2IweSoc6clWJMKTUBE34y55xU8iLNDs/edit?usp=sharing

I am a young transgender person living in Michigan; I refuse to stand by and watch my elected officials push a bill that is so blatantly transphobic. Being trans* in any capacity can be a daunting and scary experience, let alone in a state with conservative-majorities both in the government and in the population. Every day I walk out my door, I have the nagging worry that I might not come home safe or possibly at all. I will use my voice to speak out against injustices for not only myself and my fellow trans* individuals, but for those who no longer can.
Senate Bill 0218 (2021) aims to prohibit trans students from participating in sports based on their gender identity, but instead require that only those assigned male at birth may participate on boy's/men's teams and only those assigned female at birth may participate on girl's/women's teams. This bill would not only alienate an already marginalized and endangered group of people, but will greatly impact students' mental health and take away a safe space for students to freely exist outside of school. Senator Theis argues that allowing transgender girls and women to participate in sports for girls/women goes against Title IX; she goes on to say "Identity politics threatens all that was sacrificed and gained." (quoted from Detroit Free Press, Mar 10 2021).

A main argument of conservatives and transphobes is that cisgender women and girls are losing opportunities, using a lawsuit against school districts in Connecticut that directly targets two transgender athletes that have won a combined 15 state championship races between 2017 and 2020. The lawsuit argues that the two students "deprived [cisgender girls] of track titles and scholarship opportunities." (quoted from Associate Press, Feb 12 2020).

An important thing to remember: transgender girls and women are just that - girls and women. The Connecticut case is currently awaiting a decision, with the two transgender students issuing statements standing up for their rights to compete in sports aligning with their gender identity. Beyond this case, there are little to no instances of transgender athletes improperly winning awards or having an unfair advantage over their cisgender counterparts. Don't allow Michigan to be added to the growing list of states that place further restrictions on transgender individuals, speak up against the continued mistreatment and discrimination that transgender people of all ages face.

Solidarity-Equity-Education Connecticut (S.E.E. CT) represents students, parents, and community members who are working in solidarity to strive for equity in K-12 curriculum. S.E.E. CT believes that every student has the right to a culturally responsive education that reflects and respects their identities, particularly those that have been historically underserved and underrepresented. In order to ensure that this right is upheld, S.E.E. CT aims to address institutionalized racism, bias, and other issues of social justice in Connecticut schools and beyond.

As humans, we carry internal, often unconscious, biases against groups that we perceive as different than us. The particular dangers of being biased as a school official are that 1) their unchecked bias can harm Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and students of other marginalized communities, and 2) their biases are likely to be noticed and internalized by all students. To this end, we urge you to commit to enacting the following measures as necessary steps in creating school environments that are inclusive, anti-racist, and equitable:

Provide anti-racism/bias training for all school officials facilitated by qualified experts in racial equity work. It is not enough to train some teachers sometimes; 100% of educators (including para-educators), faculty, administrative leaders and support staff, and Board of Education members need to be educated on how to create inclusive, anti-racist, and equitable school environments. Training should include how to teach social-emotional learning, social contexts, and cultural diversity so that all students who enter a classroom are understood and supported. This holistic approach will support teachers to effectively, respectfully, and safely communicate and learn with students and families. With regard to budgetary concerns, the harm done to all students by unchecked racism and bias comes at an immeasurable cost; for our communities, the opportunity cost is graduating students who are ill-equipped to reach their full potential, and lack the skills to contribute to the betterment of local and global communities.
Mandate and prioritize anti-bias curriculum in all subjects K-12. Racism and bias are embedded in every facet and system of American society, including education. There are countless ways that existing curricula uphold, reinforce, and teach bias, examples of which include but are not limited to: dishonesty/omission of details about historical and modern events involving racial injustice; misrepresentation of the effects of European colonization; and lack of attention paid to non-white, non-Western experiences. Books, lessons, conversations and other activities influencing school culture that further anti-bias, diversity, and racial justice need to be assigned and facilitated in classrooms of every subject. Visit the S.E.E. CT resources page for links to accredited organizations with thousands of free lesson plans, teaching strategies, and more curriculum resources organized by grade level and subject. Resources include tools for ethical and inclusive celebration of holidays, use of school mascots, and fruitful conversations around how to integrate the history and culture of BIPOC communities in and outside of the classroom, beyond just a single day or month. Furthermore, regular equity audits for all curricula should be performed by a qualified third party in order to “facilitate ease of use and to promote insight into, discussion of, and substantive response to systemic patterns of inequity in schools and school districts” ("Conducting an Equity Audit" - Hanover Research.)
Enforce a formal bias reporting procedure. Too often, incidents of racism and other forms of bias in our school communities go unreported and thus unchecked. Whether it is teacher to student, student to student, or any other combination of school community members, the goal is not to criminalize the subject of the report. Instead, the goal of keeping a thorough record of incidents is to properly address them through a combination of education and punitive measures, both at the individual and systemic levels. The ramifications for individuals that engage in racist/biased behavior need to be defined and transparent to all students, teachers, parents, and community members. To be clear, this does not include details about specific individuals that would violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), but rather the general consequences and response system for incidents of racism/bias. In addition, students, educators, parents, and all other school community members need to be made aware of this procedure, including how it works and how they can access it. Furthermore, this system needs to include measures to keep track of reporting data in order to determine baselines and measure progress. Finally, regular reports need to be distributed to both report filers regarding the status of their report, and to the larger school community including general information on the types/amount of reports filed and relevant progress.
Eliminate policing in schools. Across the U.S., public schools have seen a rapid increase of school resource officers (SROs) since the 1990s. We urge you to divest from policing in schools and invest, rather, in a) student support services that center on social and emotional wellbeing and cultural responsiveness, and b) alternative safety solutions that are rooted in anti-racism and anti-bias.
Placing SROs in schools came as a response to school shootings in an effort to make schools safer, however there is no direct evidence that SROs are effective in guaranteeing physical safety. In fact, quite the opposite. Without specialized training in child development, SROs are likely to replicate “broader patterns of police targeting and criminalizing Black, Indigenous, Latine, and students of color” ("The Prevalence and the Price of Police in Schools" - Chelsea Connery). In addition, SROs bring negative outcomes to all students, but particularly BIPOC students, in the form of increased arrest rates, conflict escalation, interference with education, infringement of rights, and increased trauma. As Sandy Hook Promise states, "Instead of adding guns [to schools], we should train and empower both educators and students with research-based programs that teach how to identify, intervene and get help for students in need." Read more about data on SROs and suggestions for alternatives that are CT-specific here.
Create and work closely with a community racial equity task force. As a community imperative, it is necessary to spotlight the voices of marginalized groups. Work with students, teachers, parents, and community members of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds in developing a concrete plan to address issues of racism and bias in our public schools. The task force must be given responsibility to review, comment, and recommend changes/adjustments on policies, practices, and other school culture-related matters that directly impact the school community, particularly BIPOC students. The task force should also develop a specific plan to foster a culture of mutual respect, inclusion, transparency, and accountability.
We know that meaningful change does not come quickly nor easily. As an advocacy group, we are committed to this work for as long as it takes to ensure that all of our school environments embody inclusion, anti-racism/bias, and equity. We believe that our community can be a model to follow and based on the growing commitment to our cause, we know we have a strong foundation to get started. Please join us in our fight against systemic racism in our public schools.