By John Schwing

WESTPORT — TEAM Westport, facing a challenge that its current membership violates the town charter and criticized for its annual teen essay contest, refuted the allegations Thursday morning as a “vicious” campaign whose “whole idea is to discredit us,” in the words of the group’s longtime leader.

Harold Bailey Jr., the committee’s chairman, started the Zoom meeting with a vigorous defense of the group’s status as an advisory group that over the course of nearly two decades has advocated for multicultural and equity issues as a way to ensure Westport is a “welcoming community” to all.

The status of TEAM (Together Effectively Achieving Multiculturalism) Westport, as it is now constituted, was called into question by two town residents who, in a Jan. 31 letter to First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, said the current membership violates the town charter in three primary areas:

• There is not adequate minority-party representation as required under the charter.

• That several members have served longer than the allowed two, consecutive four-year terms.

• That at least two members are not Westport residents and voters, and therefore, ineligible to serve on a municipal board.

The letter, signed by lawyer Vincent Marino on behalf of residents Zack Alcyone and Camilo Riano, demands the first selectwoman address the alleged violations by Friday or they intend to file a formal legal challenge.

Bailey said that since the committee was established by the Representative Town Meeting in 2005 as an advisory committee whose actions are not binding, questions never have arisen about whether the panel’s members have to be registered Westport voters, whether it is required to ensure minority-party representation or to enforce term limits.

He noted, in fact, the group was initially established to address its mission in both Westport and Weston, so it has routinely included non-residents among its members.

Tooker voices support for TEAM Westport mission

Tooker, who joined the meeting to make her first public comments on the issue, said the letter writers’ concerns have been referred to the Town Attorney’s Office, which she said is expected to issue a formal opinion sometime next week.

The first selectwoman, while avoiding direct comment on the claims by Alcyone and Riano, offered strong support for the group’s mission.

“I am fully committed to maintaining the original mission of TEAM Westport,” Tooker said, and underscored that stance by reading the group’s mission into the meeting record.

She, with Bailey in agreement, indicated that she looks forward to reviewing recommendations the Town Attorney’s Office might have regarding the group’s future.

Indoctrination claim about essay contest called insane

TEAM’s annual Teen Diversity Essay Contest — this year’s topic is “Why It Can Be So Difficult to Talk About Race” — also was defended by Bailey against criticism, primarily from the anonymous “Westport Parents 06880” group. In a lengthy website post, the group contends that with this year’s essay contest, TEAM Westport “steps up its efforts to turn our children against core American ideals.”

Bailey said the essay contest, co-sponsored by the Westport Library, is designed to give local youth an opportunity to voice their concerns on such topics as equity and inclusivity. The contention that the contest’s purpose is to “indoctrinate a political ideology in young people is just insane,” he said.

Recent criticism of TEAM Westport and its mission to help foster equity and anti-racism in the community, he said, is simply an effort to “demonize” the entire project.

Critic says TEAM marginalizes those who disagree

While others representing various town agencies and community organizations spoke in support of TEAM during the meeting, one member of the public was sharply critical.

Anne Alcyone, who frequently comments critically about school district policies at Board of Education meetings, said that she and people who hold similar views are the ones who feel “othered” by programs advocated by TEAM.

Anyone who disagrees with TEAM Westport, she said, is automatically marginalized and considered bad.

Alcyone said that because of TEAM Westport’s broad influence — she described it as “mission creep” — her dissenting views have stymied her efforts to participate in school district committees and to bring speakers to the Westport Library.

Those who don’t agree with TEAM Westport’s approach to anti-racism, she said, are themselves labeled racist.

Asked by Darcy Hicks, another member of the public, who Alcyone means when she referred to “we” being marginalized by TEAM Westport and its allies, Alcyone said it is a group of about 140 parents, but offered no other details.