Hold on to your hats folks, it's time for me to call somebody out. In this case, that "somebody" happens to be the Fairfield (Connecticut) Police Department.
Opening up my e-mail this morning, I was shocked and disappointed to learn of a racial incident at Fairfield Warde High School (1). I'll allow you to read the news story yourself; here's the link.
Seeking to know more about this case, I have taken it upon myself to ask law enforcement about the content of the message. Specifically, what was it that was allegedly said? Was the post hate speech, or simply an expression meant to insult someone?
Here's a screenshot of my correspondence with the police department, presented in link form. As you can see, police gave me a standard press release regarding the incident, and refused to provide further details (2).
Saying that I'm disappointed in the department's response would be a bit of an understatement. If you weren't aware, I'm a long-time resident of the town of Fairfield. I went to school at Fairfield High School (the immediate predecessor of Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe high schools), and graduated as part of its Class of 2000.
Moreover, as a concerned citizen, I believe I deserve transparency in town matters. After all, I have the right to be informed about news happening in my own hometown.
Having explained my interest in this case, let me directly address the Fairfield Police Department.
It's obvious that I'm being stonewalled; honestly, I don't understand why that is. Perhaps I'm incorrect, but there seems to be more to this story than meets the eye. In any event, it's my right as a citizen to have access to relevant information; this will help me to craft an informed opinion (which I have the right to have) (see Note 1).
Now, a final thought. A long time ago, one of my high school teachers told me to not "just answer the questions, question the answers". That's all I'm doing here. To "question the answers", I need to know what those answers are....don't you think?
Note 1: The police will probably claim a "right to privacy"; my right to be informed takes precedence over the former right.
Sources:
1. Bybee-Schler, Anna. "Warde Student Charged After Racist Snapchat Post: Fairfield PD". Fairfield, CT Patch, 2021, https://patch.com/connecticut/fairfield/warde-student-charged-after-racist-snapchat-post-fairfield-pd. Accessed 12 May 2021.
2. Boland, Matt. Text message to Fairfield Police Department. 12 May 2021.
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