I tuned into the Wednesday night Ledyard Town Council meeting so that I could hear the promised statement by Councilor Andra Ingalls regarding the comments she had made during the Community Relations Committee meeting. Ingalls did not explain or apologize for her comments but instead doubled down on her own racist beliefs by using a disingenuous anecdote from a teacher friend in another state. I feel sorry for the teacher friend! Either the teacher friend is not yet ready to let go of her own biases (thereby being a teacher no child should ever have), or her district has done a poor job of providing the guidance this teacher needs to be a competent teacher for all students.

Not only did Ingalls do her friend a disservice, but she used this teacher’s experience as evidence that engaging in cultural understanding and growth in Ledyard is something to be avoided at all costs. Ingalls's brand of racism, couched in saccharine, pseudo-intellectual claims of “just asking questions,” is the most dangerous kind. If you speak out against her, you are mean and disrespectful, and if you stay silent or defend her, you are using your privilege to cover up her racism. I want my elected leaders to be better than this.

Rebecca Graebner

Ledyard