GREENWICH, Conn. — A video of a Cos Cob assistant principal allegedly saying he won't hire Catholic employment candidates has surfaced and gone viral. Now, the Greenwich first selectman is calling for a "full investigation."
According to Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo, Boland has been put on leave.
The video was published by Project Veritas, which claims to be a non-profit website that provides undercover stories.
Throughout the video, Jeremy Boland, assistant principal of Cos Cob School, is seen sitting at several restaurants talking to a representative from Project Veritas.
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The video starts with Project Veritas asking, "Oh, so then what do you do with the Catholics? If you find out someone is Catholic then what?" Boland can be seen shaking his head and opening his clasped hands, like a small shrug.
Boland's answer is inaudible with the loud background chatter, but his reply is subtitled, "You don't hire them."
The 12-minute-long video continues with him discussing his interview processes and hiring practices, which the video's narrator and interviewer call into question. The video appears edited, as it cuts in between conversations at different restaurants.
Project Veritas highlighted a moment where Boland said that it is difficult to fire an existing employee, so he focuses on who to onboard next. He talked about one teacher he said he'll "never be able to change."
"The conservative one, who is stuck in her ways. I’ll never be able to fire her, and I’ll never be able to change her. So, I make an impact with the next teacher I hire," Boland said.
The video has caught the eyes of Connecticut's local and state officials.
"To think that Roman Catholic applicants may have applied for teaching positions and not received proper consideration due to their religion seems like something from a bygone era, not 2022," Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo said in a statement Tuesday night. "According to this assistant principal, Conservatives, older applicants, and others deemed not progressive were not given an opportunity afforded others."
Camilo said he reached out to the Superintendent of Schools to request a complete review of hiring practices.
"Our kids deserve better. Our schools deserve better. Our town deserves better," Camillo added.
The situation also caught Gov. Ned Lamont's attention. He released a statement Wednesday afternoon regarding the issue.
“Discrimination of any kind has no place in Connecticut, especially in our public schools. This is not aligned with our Connecticut values," Lamont said. “The Connecticut State Department of Education is aware of the incident, has been in contact with Greenwich Public School administrators, and is monitoring the situation’s progress.”
Lamont's GOP opponent in the upcoming gubernatorial election, Bob Stefanowski, released a statement regarding the video Wednesday evening, saying in part,
“I am deeply troubled and, frankly, angry about what I heard on the tapes released." He added, "If this person is found guilty of violating state anti-discrimination laws, it is my hope that he is fully prosecuted and never sees the inside of a classroom again."
FOX61 has reached out to the Greenwich school system for comment.
This is a developing story.
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