What Led to Schroon’s Diversity Pledge?
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Our Town Beach: One of Schroon’s prized jewels
Long time Schroon Laker Emily Rossi-Snook provides a detailed chronology to the events leading up to the Town’s new Diversity Resolution in the following letter to the Editor of the Sun Newspaper. The paper has extensively covered the story in their print and on-line editions.
To the editor:
In regards to the article in the July 25, issue of The Sun, "Schroon Passes Diversity Pledge Following Flag Incident”, it is reported that the school banner in question “was hastily removed" when actually the town was resistant to its removal.
On June 5, all involved organizations; Mountainside Bible Chapel, Schroon Lake Central School, Schroon Lake Town Board, were contacted about the offending image. Nothing was done. On June 16, a Mountainside representative said that there would be an adjustment to the photo. So, why wasn’t it done? Who blocked this correction? After several emails and still no action, Supervisor Subra said in a phone call on June 19, that the town resources would not be used in the adjustment of the banner.
I do not call 6 weeks, multiple emails, a refusal by Supervisor Subra to remove the banner a “hasty removal”. I call this stonewalling. I call this a lack of leadership. I call this supporting racist imagery.
At the July 13, Town Board meeting, when Town Board member Roger Friedman presented a drafted diversity resolution, Supervisor Subra told a resident that he found her Black Lives Matter sign offensive (See p.8 of July 25 issue of The Sun).
In the July 24 online issue of The Sun, there is a photo of another sign stating Black Lives Matter. It is reported that Supervisor Subra singled out this sign, made by an eight-year-old child, as offensive. Please read this right: a sign of acceptance and inclusion, made by a child, is publicly called offensive by our elected town leader.
To the Schroon Lake Town Board: Your diversity pledge is a fine start, but you have more work to do. Let’s start by demanding the resignation of Jeff Subra as supervisor of the Town of Schroon.
Emily Rossi-Snook, Schroon Lake
