NAUGATUCK, Conn. (WTNH) — A crowd of approximately 100 Naugatuck High School students and residents gathered on the Naugatuck Green on Wednesday after marching through the streets carrying signs and chanting “enough is enough!” This after racist social media posts surfaced from the chief of police’s daughter.
The march and rally organized by Naugatuck High School students in response to racist Snapchat posts made two years ago that resurfaced last week. They were made by a student at the school who was 13 at the time. The girl is the daughter of the police chief and the assistant principal of Naugatuck High School.
One of the posts included the “N-word.” Another read: “My dad is now officially police chief so that means he’s more advanced in shooting black people than he was a couple of minutes ago.”
One of the students speaking at Wednesday’s rally lashed out at that.
“Such racist remarks that have been said have been uttered before, whether behind closed doors or publicly and have been brushed under the rug many times,” the student said.
Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess was in the crowd but largely went unnoticed with his facemask and winter hat on.
News 8 caught up with him and asked for his response to the rally.
“The incident they’re talking about — the words they’re talking about — are some of the worst words I’ve ever heard in my life, so it’s correct for them to be upset and to be heard,” he said.
During the interview, a Naugatuck parent approached and began a conversation with the mayor.
“I want to make sure my children feel safe in this town,” she said to him. “I’m raising a little Black boy and I don’t want him to have fear in his heart.”
“I will do everything in my power to keep people safe,” the mayor said. “I don’t want anyone feeling like they’re not safe.”
The woman told the mayor she wants the police chief to resign.
The mayor said there are four separate investigations into the incident.
“I want to know everything,” Mayor Hess said. “I want to know about the culture of the family, I want to know about the culture of the school community before I make a final decision.”
Mayor Hess also told News 8 he met with local NAACP leaders Tuesday night and together they will work on holding community forums on race.
One of the student organizers of the march and rally told News 8 that’s a good start.
