Connecticut school board vice chair compares America's founding to Holocaust in viral July 4 post
The West Hartford Board of Education vice chair LaToya Yagaloff compared America's 250th anniversary to celebrating the Holocaust, drawing social media backlash.
A Connecticut school board vice chair is facing backlash after a social media post comparing America's founding and its 250th anniversary celebration to the Holocaust went viral online.
Vice chair of the West Hartford Board of Education LaToya Yagaloff — also known as LaToya Fernandez — wrote that celebrating America's independence was akin to celebrating atrocities because slavery remained legal after 1776, asking readers, "Would you celebrate the historic beginning of the Holocaust or other genocides and atrocities?"
In a July 3 post on Facebook, Yagaloff wrote, "Slavery in the US started in 1619. In 1776, when America gained its independence, it did not free its slaves. Exactly 250 years ago in 1776 Chattel Slavery was the legal foundation of the American Colonies. So yes Americas 250th may feel like a celebration to you … But to me it’s like celebrating a nightmare that built the country that created the conditions for White privilege that allow you to turn a blind eye and be annoyed that I even mentioned it."
"Would you celebrate the historic beginning of the Holocaust or other Genocides and atrocities?!" Yagaloff continued. "Why can’t we all just be American on July 4th? Because we all were not even considered human on July 4th 17 76. Am I killing your buzz with my truth telling?? Good, time to sober up, cuz we need you conscious and well."
Her biography on West Hartford Public Schools' website says that her "educational leadership centers on closing opportunity gaps through culturally responsive teaching, community partnership, and academic excellence. She believes that when students see themselves represented, feel safe, and are encouraged to express their full identities, the entire community thrives."
On her personal website, Yagaloff says that she "designed and implemented a social justice based common core aligned curriculum for students in grades k-5, this curriculum-built awareness and called upon students to advocate for equity and justice in their neighborhoods." She also says she served as a Restorative Justice Coordinator for San Jose schools and worked in California for 13 years as a community activist and "Restorative Practices change agent."
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Yagaloff returned home to Connecticut in 2021 and became a Restorative Justice Coordinator within the state, "providing trainings in juvenile detention facilities and DCF group homes to staff and youth."
In her personal bio, she says that she became the City of Norwalk's first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, serves on the West Hartford Board of Education, and founded Beyond Circles, a restorative practices consulting organization.
The post, which was screenshotted and shared on X by Libs of TikTok, has drawn widespread criticism on social media as the nation just commemorated its 250th anniversary.
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One person said, "Sounds like like she needs God and should be teaching anyone anything."
"Someone should tell her who was actually selling Africans to the White slavers," another wrote. "Other Africans. Does she think that White men in wool suites went into the jungles to capture Africans? I think she needs to reread history."
On July 16, the West Hartford GOP shared a screenshot of Yagaloff's July 3 post and wrote, "The Democratic Vice Chair of the West Hartford Board of Education compared our country's 250th anniversary to a genocide and the Holocaust. These are the people entrusted with your children's education!"
In a Monday post on Facebook, West Hartford Democrats said in part, "We stand with LaToya Yagaloff. Full stop. The hateful campaign waged by the West Hartford GOP against BOE member LaToya Yagaloff has resulted in exactly what such targeted attacks invite: a flood of vile, racist, and misogynistic messages calling her the most degrading slurs imaginable. This is NOT acceptable political discourse. This is harassment. This is intimidation. Enough is enough."
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, LaToya Yagaloff said, "I stand by the heart of my message. My July 4th post was not written to diminish America, but to invite reflection on a historical truth that continues to shape how many Americans experience Independence Day."
"When the United States declared independence in 1776, chattel slavery remained legal," she continued. "Millions of enslaved Africans and their descendants were excluded from the freedoms being celebrated. That history is not an opinion — it is a fact. My post asked readers to consider why a day of national celebration can also evoke grief, reflection, and unresolved pain for many Black Americans whose ancestors were denied those very liberties."
"Some have interpreted one portion of my post as equating America's founding with the Holocaust," Yagaloff added. "That was not my intention. My point was to encourage reflection on how societies remember painful histories and to ask whether we can hold celebration and truth together. I believe we honor our nation not by avoiding difficult parts of our history, but by having the courage to confront them honestly."
"What has been especially heartbreaking is what followed," she said. "After being singled out publicly, I received a wave of racist and misogynistic harassment, including messages calling me the N-word and other degrading slurs. I welcome respectful disagreement and thoughtful debate. That is part of servant leadership. Racism, intimidation, and dehumanization are not."
"As a Marine Corps veteran, educator, Board of Education Vice Chair, and restorative justice practitioner, I have dedicated my life to bringing people together across differences," Yagaloff went on to say. "My work is rooted in the belief that truth and dignity must coexist. We cannot build reconciliation by denying history, nor can we create healing by dehumanizing those with whom we disagree."
"My faith teaches me that every person is made in the image of God and worthy of dignity," she continued. "My work in restorative justice teaches me that truth-telling is not the enemy of unity; it is often the beginning of it. Real reconciliation requires honesty, accountability, compassion, and the willingness to remain in conversation even when it is uncomfortable. I remain committed to serving my community with humility, integrity, and love."
"My hope is that this moment will encourage deeper conversations about our shared history and remind us that we can disagree without abandoning one another's humanity," Yagaloff added. "Patriotism is not the absence of criticism. It is loving your country enough to tell the truth about its past while believing in its capacity to grow."
Fox News Digital reached out to West Hartford Public Schools, the West Hartford GOP and the West Hartford Democrats for comment.