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To the Editor:

It’s hard to read the news these days. In the wake of the murder of 1,400 innocent civilians in Israel by the terrorist group Hamas – atrocities of the most barbaric kind, thousands flooded the streets in major cities around the world in support of the perpetrators. Here in West Hartford, a threat against a local synagogue only days after the barbaric terror attacks brought the danger home to the Jewish community and the many parents whose children attend the attached daycare.

Unfortunately, in Congress and in West Hartford’s upcoming election, there are politicians who are unwilling to stand up to the hate toward the Jewish community. On November 7th, West Hartford residents can say loudly and clearly that antisemitism is not tolerated here by leaving one name off the ballot: LaToya Fernandez.

Fernandez was appointed only recently to the Board of Education to fill a vacant position. At the time of her nomination to fill the position, some members of the Board of Education objected. They cited a statement she signed in July 2021 accusing Israel of “systemic discrimination and the violation of human rights.” She was appointed anyway.

Fernandez is running again and will be on the ballot on November 7th. In light of the atrocities committed by the terrorist organization Hamas, she has been rightly criticized for signing the statement attacking Israel.

Did she take the chance to clarify her statement? No. Did she take the initiative to condemn the terrorist organization responsible or the acts of terror they committed? No. Instead, she deflected and attacked those who questioned her controversial stance on Israel. Only when prompted again by one of the other candidates at the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum did Fernandez talk about how much she cares about children and doesn’t want them to be hurt anywhere. She made no mention of Hamas. Nor did she make any effort to condemn the terrorist organization.

Sadly, this is a pattern for Fernandez. I confirmed with a reliable source [Editor’s note: the individual remains anonymous but is a person active in the community with knowledge of the situation] directly familiar with the efforts to reach out to Fernandez that she refused to sit down with a variety of different Jewish and Israel advocacy groups to discuss the position she took in 2021 and her current perspective on Israel. Several overtures were made, but she refused even a conversation.

Being a political leader is about being able to listen. Fernandez has made it clear that she isn’t interested.

The past few weeks have demonstrated what happens when moral clarity disappears from the dialogue. It should not be hard for elected officials to condemn mass murder, torture, and rape. Education leaders should not need public opprobrium to remind them that decapitating babies and burning women and children alive is vile and disgusting. They should not need prodding to acknowledge that there is no equivalence between the commission of those atrocities and the response to them. And it should not take weeks and countless requests for our elected officials to have a simple conversation about the most pressing issues facing our town, state, and country.

West Hartford’s school system needs leaders who clearly understand the difference between right and wrong. West Hartford needs leaders who can be trusted to stand up to antisemitism, in the schools or in the streets.

Fernandez has demonstrated she is not that kind of leader.

On Tuesday, November 7th, the antisemitism crisis facing this country will be coming to West Hartford ballots. Leave Fernandez off of your ballots and show that the Jewish community is welcome here.

Ari Schaffer
West Hartford