DEI Task Force Created After Racist Incident in Smithfield Dismantled - Former Official Blasts Move

DEI Task Force Created After Racist Incident in Smithfield Dismantled - Former Official Blasts Move

The former Town Council Chair in Smithfield is calling the reaction to the recent incident of antisemitism “déjà -vu” and "disappointing," after the town had created a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force in 2021. 

Two years after the task force's inception, however, she says it was effectively dismantled.

“I’m now a mom and community leader - for me, this is sort of déjà vu,” said former Town Council Chai Suzy Alba. “Several years ago, we had an incident in town that was to this caliber - where we had racist graffiti - I was the Council President at the time.”

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Racist graffiti had been discovered on part of a Route 116 bridge that spans the Woonasquatucket River; it was widely condemned by town leaders.

“As a result of that, we created a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. Our Youth Council held forums; we had parents involved, he had the community involved, we had the ACLU come in - we had all these community discussions around the issues of race, and tolerance,” said Alba. 

“So this for me, sadly, is sort of like a repeat of that. When I retired from town politics, there were elected officials at the time, some of which are still in office - that dismantled that DEI Task Force,” Alba continued. “So for me, we’re sort of reacting again as a community.”

“If we had continued to support this type of dialogue - that task force - all of these years, I’m not saying it would have prevented what happened, but we would have been talking about it,” said Alba. “So for me it’s really disappointing to see where we’re at now.”

 

Past and Current Politics

“There are current members of the school committee that were vocal for dismantling [the task force]…there a people on the hot seat now,” said Alba. 

Alba said she had “championed” the creation of the task force, which launched in April 2021. 

“Then, the Town Council - and I was not on the council at that time - in October 2023 had an agenda item that called for the dissolution of the task force. It was not dissolved officially; but it was abandoned,” said Alba. 

“And the two vocal people - and they’re in the minutes - Rachel Toppi, a current town council member - and Jeff Leblanc- who is now a school committee member - they were very vocal about dissolving it,” said Alba. “The council tabled it and the task force was no longer active. For me feeling was like wow. This feels like what happened in that incident.”

“To see this rear its head again in our community…its disappointing how reactionary people are being, and in the absence of factual information, the community is in hysterics right now,” said Alba.

Alba added she supports the council leadership’s call for a “truly independent investigation.” 

When reached for comment, Leblanc said he “stood by” his criticism of the town’s DEI task force years ago.

“I began attending the meetings after the task force’s suggestion of a “concerned citizen forum” was presented to the town council (a suggestion that eventually did not pass legal muster),” said Leblanc. “I felt that the task force did not have a clear plan of action, had yielded little to no results since its inception, and at times were violating open meetings law.”

“Just like any local government entity the task force was obligated to abide by all state laws, which they did not and violations were acknowledged by their leadership when I brought those specific concerns to their attention,” he continued. “Ultimately I supported the privatization of the task force. I am unaware if such a group exists or is active in our town currently.”

Toppi did not respond to request for comment.