Responding to concerns from teachers who feared retaliation from school administrators due to criticisms made towards school officials during the recent education budget debates, City Council Minority Leader Tom Saadi filed an Freedom of Information (FOI) request with School Superintendent Sal Pascarella. At issue is whether or not Pascarella requested the school's IT department to provide him any emails transmissions between teachers and Councilman Saadi.
Here's a copy of Saadi's FOI request to Pascarella.
Earlier today, I had a chance to interview Saadi and talk to him about the allegations raised in his FOI request.
Pascarella said Wednesday he had already received the letter and emphatically denies the allegations.
"I am very careful of people's rights and their ability to articulate their opinions and I respect that," he said. "That's just not the way we operate."
[…]
Pascarella said that while he can't speak for others, nobody has been asked to "investigate those in my employment for dealing with the council or making comments about the budget."
Frankly, he added, such allegations are "deplorable" and repugnant. "That's not what I stand for," he said.
[…]
Pascarella said he will comply with the request [from Saadi].
UPDATE 2: Due to today's story, I will be providing a LIVE VIDEO STREAM of tonight's Board of Education meeting in which Pascarella might comment on the FOI request.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
