Attorney general launches investigation into comments made by Greenwich school administrator

GREENWICH, CT (WFSB) – Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced he is launching an investigation into comments made by an assistant principal in Greenwich.

That administrator is now on leave.

This comes as an investigation is underway into allegations of discriminatory hiring.

A video appears to show a school administrator admitting he avoids hiring conservatives, Roman Catholics, and people over 30.

The attorney general says he is not playing politics and will not rush this investigation, regardless of the November election.

“I am not going to do anything different just because this is a political season and people want me to reach a conclusion or another,” said Tong.

Tong announced his investigation at a news conference Thursday afternoon:

“Discrimination, hate, bigotry against any person and any against any religion or on the basis of age or otherwise, is reprehensible and wrong,” said Tong. “This video is disturbing, and if teachers, school staff, or applicants for education jobs have been illegally discriminated against for any reason, I will take action.”

The Greenwich first selectman, the school superintendent, and other groups called for investigations on Wednesday.

The undercover and heavily edited video was made by Project Veritas.

That’s a controversial group that specializes in hidden camera, undercover videos.

This video appears to show a Cos Cob School Assistant Principal Jeremy Boland talking about hiring “young” and “progressive” candidates for teaching positions.

“I am a Catholic, not practicing, but I am Catholic. I am old, I am 59 years old. According to what we saw in that video, I wouldn’t qualify to work at Cos Cob School because I’m too old for that, and I’m a republican. So I guess the most damning comments he had were all at me,” said Joe Kelly, Board of Education, Greenwich and parent.

Republican senate candidate Leora Levy, who lives in Greenwich held a press conference Wednesday at the school.

“It is abhorrent, it is wrong and it is unamerican,” said Levy.

Levy also went as far to say democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal is complicit in the indoctrination of our children.

However, Blumenthal also supports an investigation.

“There has to be a credible investigation, the school board has begun it, but the attorney general may well have a necessary role,” said Blumenthal.

Governor Lamont says he was shocked by the video.

“It’s not Connecticut. It’s not the values we represent. Surely not something that is not appropriate at all in the state, surely not in our schools,” said Lamont.

Greenwich School Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones addressed the video in a letter to parents, saying:

The town’s first selectman also reacted to the video, saying:

“It’s all about education and not indoctrination. It’s a lesson that somebody can really make a mistake and we will like them to know that we as a town will spare no expense to get to the root cause of this and to see if this is a problem that’s pervasive,” added Camillo.

“The comments regarding Catholics as well as indoctrination techniques by the Cos Cob Elementary school assistant principal are vial and do a profound disservice to the many catholic teachers in public schools both in Greenwich and across the state,” said Christopher Healy, Executive Director, Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference.

Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference also put out a statement saying in part:

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