By John Schwing

WESTPORT — First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, the town’s top elected Republican official, will not support the candidacy of Camilo Riano seeking election as a Republican to the Board of Education next month.

Tooker said she would not back Riano, an outspoken critic of Westport public school administrators and policies, in answer to a question she was asked at the TEAM Westport meeting on Thursday. 

At that session, Tooker issued a statement saying that civil discourse at public forums is in jeopardy, emphasizing that, “It’s critical that our decision-making process remains transparent and, importantly, civil.”

She confirmed her decision not to support Riano when asked by the Westport Journal at a meeting of the Long Lots Building Committee on Thursday night.

“I was asked by a member of the public if I was supporting Camilo and I said I am not,” Tooker said. “That’s all that was said.”

“I think his tactics have been something unsupportable,” she added.

Riano, who frequently speaks at Board of Education meetings, has been harshly critical of the school administration’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies; criticized programs at Saugatuck Elementary School he  feels were too sexually explicit as well as “Banned Books” in the Staples High School library, and accused school officials of “grooming” students. He also is a regular contributor to a conservative website, “The Connecticut Centinal.”

His last-minute endorsement by the Republican Town Committee to run as one of two school board candidates this fall came as a surprise to political observers, including Robert Harrington, a Republican currently serving on the school board.

Harrington, who previously announced that he would not support Riano’s candidacy, confirmed his opposition Thursday when asked to comment on Tooker’s position.

“I had felt like I was on my own Republican island speaking out about Camilo’s selection from the Westport Republican Town Committee,” Harrington said in an email to the Westport Journal. “If I was going to be the only one elected Republican to say something in public it wouldn’t have changed a single word that I have said. It was too important to say something.

“I want to say thank you to Jen Tooker, our first selectwoman. Her words saying that she didn’t support Camilo’s selection and wouldn’t support him are super important. I cannot emphasize this enough. For the effective Republican leader in Westport to make these comments really matter. 

“Perhaps this will now give confidence and air cover for other Republican leaders and members to speak out. I know there are a number of Republicans that feel uncomfortable saying something in public or rocking the boat,” Harrington added.

“I truly believe the Westport Republican Town Committee has a real responsibility to nominate appropriate candidates. They have done so in so many ways for the other boards and commissions, but I strongly believe we have fallen short here. We need to  do better for Westport here and I am really pleased Jen Tooker feels the same.”

Thane Grauel and Linda Conner Lambeck contributed to this report.