Withholding Served No One
The other evening, I was watching the Feb. 27 East Haven Board of Education (BOE) meeting on ETV. The BOE intended to address school security matters and strategies in East Haven. East Haven Chief of Police Ed Lennon spoke and indicated that there is a plan. It’s clear that our leadership is taking this issue seriously. Throughout the nationwide discussion, we repeatedly hear that if we see something, say something.
I was taken aback by Lou Pacelli, former BOE member and current District 3 Town Council representative, when he spoke at the meeting. During public comment, Pacelli told the BOE about an unlocked gate on Sperry Lane that went unmonitored and which allowed entrance to the high school campus; he thought it should have been locked for the safety of the students. Clearly, it should have been locked, but he knew it was unlocked since October 2017 and he had been monitoring it. He also claimed that he told Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr., about the gate. Should that gate be locked? Absolutely. My question is: Why would he wait to inform school officials or police? Why sit on this for five months when it possibly presented, as he claimed and I agree, a dangerous situation and an unchecked entrance to our East Haven High School campus?
He was wrong not to bring it to the proper officials, which placed our children at risk! Instead, he chose to bring this information out during a public meeting I believe to elevate his own political aspirations.
Potential risk to our students for political benefit is unacceptable. Our educators and Police Department work diligently to keep our children safe, which is no easy task. It’s also dependent on everyone speaking up when something isn’t right. Withholding this information served no one except Mr. Pacelli.
Vincent Arpino
East Haven