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Coventry residents call out alleged antisemitic disruptions and question cancellation of Freedom 250 truck
Summary
Public commenters accused a community member of antisemitic disruptions aimed at Council Chair Lisa Thomas and asked for condemnation; others criticized how the Freedom 250 traveling exhibit was canceled and sought clarity from town officials.
Carolyn Arabolos, a Coventry resident, asked the council to publicly condemn antisemitic disruptions she said occurred at recent meetings and identified Edward “Eddie” Bzdyra as the individual responsible. "He owes the Town Council Chair, the entire Council, and Community an apology," Arabolos said, adding that silence or excuses make bystanders complicit.
Several other residents urged officials to speak out against hate and to avoid normalizing violent rhetoric. Dorothy Grady offered condolences to victims of a recent hate crime in San Diego and said "silence gives people permission" to escalate from speech to action.
Separately, Jaime DePaola and Peter DePaola told the council they were disappointed that the Freedom 250 traveling museum — described by its supporters as a National Park Foundation program that brings history to life — will not visit Coventry. Jaime DePaola said the project appeared to have been supported initially but was "abruptly canceled 13 days later," and she criticized town leaders for not providing a clearer explanation.
Town Manager James Drumm responded that the town and Town Council were not decisionmakers in the cancellation and that Superintendent David Petrone indicated the truck would not be permitted on school campus property. "The town and Town Council were not involved and did not become aware of it until Superintendent David Petrone already indicated that it would not be on campus," Drumm said, and he added that staff searched for other town-owned sites that met the truck’s technical requirements but found none.
Council Chair Lisa Thomas said she first learned of the situation on April 20 and that she and Drumm worked to investigate alternatives once informed. No formal council action was taken on the Freedom 250 matter during the meeting; the comments were recorded during the Audience of Citizens period.
The meeting did not produce a formal finding about the alleged disruptions; residents requested public condemnation and an apology, while town staff attributed the Freedom 250 cancellation to the school superintendent's decision and to a lack of suitable town-owned sites.
