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BETHANY – In the wake of an extensive independent report into alleged sexual abuse in the town’s Parks and Recreation Department program, State Rep. Lezlye Zupkus today called upon First Selectwoman Paula Cofrancesco to resign from office.
“This 229-page report details the failure of public officials, specifically our highest elected municipal leader, to respond to disturbing allegations of sexual abuse within her administration in a timely manner and her repeated failure to communicate with the people under her authority and the constituents who placed their trust in her,’’ Zupkus said. “She needs to resign immediately.’’
The report also focuses on the state police response to the matter and indicates that the department could have reacted more quickly to the allegations against the Parks and Recreation Department employee at the center of the controversy.
Zupkus was also highly critical of Cofrancesco’s failure to remove the employee from the department even after she learned of the allegations, and it was subsequently determined that there were no protocols in place to ensure the safety and well-being of the youths participating in the department programs.
