Glastonbury, Connecticut — A school board member was punched in the face when an argument between the board member and a resident escalated to violence.
The fractious public meeting, which was all about a petition asking the board to reverse its decision to replace the Tomahawk mascot, was held inside the Glastonbury High School auditorium, Fox 61 reported.
During a recess, Ray McFall, the victim of the blow, got into a heated confrontation with a man who addressed the board.
A YouTube video shows McFall shoving the man who responds by punching him in the face. McFall stumbled to the floor as the two were broken up by attendants at the meeting.
Following the fight, a parent who watched the meeting told NBC Connecticut that “If somebody was in my face, I guess I too would probably act out, I don’t know if I’d hit someone, but it is your personal space.” Jennifer Muller told the news outlet.
No arrests were made as police said they are investigating the matter.
According to NBC’s report, some of the parents didn’t agree with the decision to retire the high school’s old Tomahawks mascot. The unhappy parents claimed they didn’t have the chance to voice their opinions about the move due to the pandemic.
Witnesses told NBC that the man seen striking McFall addressed the school board prior to the fight. They believe the man may have been upset because McFall, who was in charge of telling people when their three minutes expired, cut him off. McFall then went into the audience to confront the man, according to witnesses.
In a statement obtained by the Hartford Courant, Alan Bookman, the superintendent, said:
“The Board of Education welcomes public comment and appreciates that there will always be passionate testimony when controversial issues are considered. But it is critical that we listen to each other with respect and follow meeting rules so that everyone can be heard.”
