Correcting factual errors printed in Westport Journal

I n the interest of protecting a Westport senior citizen who was baselessly and falsely accused in a Letter to the Editor that was published in Westport Journal, a number of points of clarification are urgent. It is unfortunate that Westport Journal permitted this ad hominem attack to appear in print, and we respectfully suggest it be permanently removed given the factual errors.

The woman being accused of being part of our “menacing group” posted a thread on a Facebook group known as Westport Back Porch, which has been in existence for approximately a year. It is entirely independent of wp06880.com, although the group is a useful forum for free and open discussion among community members. There are currently over 750 members of this Facebook group. Contrary to what the writer of the Letter indicates, the thread in question was posted on Westport Back Porch, not our Facebook page, as we do not have a Facebook page.

A quick Google search of the woman who posted the thread would reveal that she is a woman in her mid-70s who lives in Westport. If one reads the thread, she objects to expressions of support for Black Lives Matter within the public schools and Town government. These objections are rooted in her concerns that the organization known as Black Lives Matter is antisemitic.

The individual who wrote this Letter to the Editor asserts that members of the “menacing group” are attempting to incite fear within the community, when she herself is making entirely false claims about a specific individual and incorrectly implying that she is part of a larger network of people with violent intentions. This is incendiary rhetoric with absolutely no basis in fact.

We completely agree with the Letter that our website focuses on Critical Race Theory, an academic movement that is fully embraced by the NYU Metro Center, the organization with which the Westport school system is partnering. We similarly acknowledge the connection of CRT to Marxism, as CRT is widely and correctly understood as an academic movement that grew out of Marxist scholarship. The purpose of our website is to share facts and insights, so as to improve the community’s understanding of the work currently being undertaken by Westport schools.

We understand there is significant disagreement about the value of implementing concepts like equity, anti-racism, anti-whiteness, and critical race theory in Westport schools. We urge everyone in the community to allow this debate to happen calmly and civilly, without making false and potentially dangerous accusations against specific individuals or perpetuating false narratives about nefarious plots. We can have intellectual disagreements on sensitive topics without name-calling and unsupported allegations.

To the extent anyone remains uneasy about the content of wp06880.com, we urge readers to visit the site. They will find a range of interesting content there, which includes content related to the national debate regarding the insertion of CRT-ideology in K-12 education as well as content more focused on the local debate taking place in Westport.