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Working group members push back after open letter from Carlos Hoyt
Summary
Members of the Bison Hate Incident Reporting Working Group criticized an open letter by Carlos Hoyt as dismissive of the group's work and urged dialogue; the chair said the letter was disappointing but should not block the group's work.
Several members of the Bison Hate Incident Reporting Working Group criticized an open letter by Carlos Hoyt and urged the group to address the concerns constructively.
Dan Hart, speaking during public comment, said Hoyt’s letter "includes language that downplays the hard work of this group and others and which is factually incorrect in places about not engaging community members." Hart asked that the group consider whether the tone and substance of the letter should be addressed directly.
Chair Paul Bohm also described the letter as "disappointing," saying a phrase attributed to him in the minutes felt out of context and that releasing a community-facing letter without prior conversation was counterproductive. Bohm said the group's aim remains to build a trusted system for reporting bias incidents and that the letter should not derail that work.
Several members urged outreach rather than dismissal. Deborah Dorfman recommended inviting Hoyt to meet with the working group so the parties could exchange perspectives directly. Michael, who said he had approached Hoyt and other professionals for earlier work, said he saw elements of truth in Hoyt’s concerns and stressed the value of listening while moving forward.
The working group did not take formal action on the letter; chair Bohm said the matter would be revisited and that any follow-up should aim at repair and clarity.
