Ridgefield Letter: Refuse to be silenced

I am Divya, your regular working mother, a committed community volunteer, and the incumbent write-in candidate for the Ridgefield Board of Education.

I am still reeling from the shock of a deeply troubling incident: the president of the LWV in Ridgefield threatened violence against me.

In an email, she wrote: "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!!! You two are going to have to physically restrain me from doing her harm on Wednesday night!"

This threat, followed by an excuse citing frustration and intended recipients, is not an apology but an evasion of responsibility.

"There was absolutely no excuse for me to send that email to my fellow workers; obviously, it was not intended for XYX".

"This is absolutely no excuse, but honestly when you sent me that email saying you knew the answer, I thought you might be trying to taunt me. In reaction to that, I thoughtlessly and disrespectfully sent a remark to what I thought were my two fellow Voter service volunteers."

As a woman of color, a woman, and simply as a human being, this attack was utterly unacceptable. It is deeply troubling that the president of this nonpartisan organization would resort to intimidation rather than fostering constructive dialogue.

This behavior undermines the very principles that the LWV stands for - an organization dedicated to civic engagement and voter education.

The Ridgefield LWV has been attempting to undermine my candidacy by falsely claiming I didn't earn my place on the ballot. This is simply not true. I am a registered write-in candidate, and my candidacy is just as valid as any other candidate on the ballot.

The LWV's decision to exclude me from the upcoming debate is not only discriminatory but also undemocratic. It sends a chilling message that my voice and perspective are not valued. The LWV has historically fought for equality and justice, and this decision seems at odds with those very values.

As a woman of color, this exclusion is especially disheartening.

I am calling on the National and State LWV to address the discriminatory behavior of the Ridgefield LWV president.

I also call on every resident of Ridgefield to stand up and protest this act of intimidation. Boycott the LWV debate and send a resounding message that we will not tolerate this kind of behavior. I refuse to be intimidated. I will persist in advocating for a diverse and inclusive Board of Education that champions the needs of all students.

Divya Dorairajan

Ridgefield, CT

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