CHARLTON — During the open forum at the Charlton Board of Selectmen meeting on May 27, 2025, Selectman David Singer approached the dais and said, “I’m coming before the board as a resident tonight,” later adding, “I’ve brought this up before. I think people are going to begin to get the gist that I’m not going away—because neither is the problem. About two and a half months ago, I went before the school committee with a request and received a very dissatisfactory answer, which was: they don’t need to do anything; they don’t see the need. This was regarding hate, antisemitism, racism, bigotry, and the need to take a stand after what happened with the MTA.”
The controversy Singer cited involving the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) arose earlier this year when the union’s members-only webpage featured pro-Palestinian materials. In February 2025, state lawmakers questioned MTA leaders during a legislative hearing after several advocacy groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee, criticized the materials as “one-sided” and, in some instances, “antisemitic.” The MTA has since removed some of the content and pledged to review the rest, stating in a Feb. 19, 2025 news release that it “condemns antisemitism and Islamophobia and all other forms of hatred.”
Singer said that despite raising the issue of antisemitism before the board of selectmen on multiple occasions, the board has not taken any action or issued a public statement in response.
“Sadly, after multiple times coming before this board to bring this board up to speed—and hopefully everyone in town who’s watching this—nothing has been done. No statements have been given,” Singer said.
He recalled that he was previously advised to take a more diplomatic approach by requesting a formal letter from the board of selectmen asking the school committee to consider action. However, when he brought that suggestion forward, the board voted against it.
“I was asked to stop, step back, take a different approach, and get a letter sent from the board of selectmen asking nicely if the school committee would consider it,” Singer said. “So I put that request to the board of selectmen, and it was unanimously voted down—including by the person whose idea it was to send the letter. So that’s very discouraging.”
Singer then presented printed screenshots to the board, which he claimed were examples of hate speech and antisemitic memes posted online by Dudley-Charlton Regional School Committee Member Jeanne Costello. “She’s an elected official, in her capacity. I’m turning these in to Andrew,” he said, referring to Town Administrator Andrew Golas. “He can send these to the school committee and ask them to take action. It is needed.”
Singer said he was aware of several antisemitic incidents involving Jewish students in the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District. “While I cannot give you names, I can tell you personally that I do know of an instance in the Charlton Middle School where students were goose-stepping behind a Jewish student,” he said. “I do know of an instance in Shepherd Hill where a penny was thrown down the hallway at a Jewish student. And I do know of an instance on our Dudley-Charlton Regional School System buses where threats were made against a Jewish resident’s home for vandalism. So I’m sorry if I’m not going to sit here and take it, that we don’t need to stand up to this. I expect more from every leader—not only on this board, but the school committee. And personally, I think if you don’t have the backbone to stand up to racism, bigotry, and hate, then you shouldn’t be on the school committee or the superintendent.”
Singer concluded by urging residents to contact the school committee directly and ask for a formal statement condemning antisemitism and hate speech. “Wouldn’t it be nice to also have an apology from them—that they understand this is not acceptable? Not in this community or anywhere,” he said.
During the open forum at the June 10 Board of Selectmen meeting, Costello responded to Singer’s earlier allegations and put two requests on the record.
“Let me state this clearly and unequivocally: I condemn terrorism, antisemitism, and hate in all forms,” Costello said. “These are not political talking points for me. They are deeply held moral convictions.”
Calling Singer’s statements “false and inflammatory accusations,” Costello said, “Free speech does not mean freedom from accountability. When false and inflammatory accusations are made—particularly by someone in a position of public trust—they cannot go unchallenged.”
She criticized the lack of direct communication prior to the public comments. “Had Mr. Singer approached me in good faith, I would have welcomed a conversation,” Costello said. “Instead, he chose to raise serious and damaging accusations in a public forum without ever attempting to speak with me personally. And that choice speaks volumes.”
She then asked the board to reaffirm its commitment to civil discourse and hold every member to that standard. “We should be doing everything we can to empower people to get involved, not create a culture of fear and hostility around public service,” Costello said. “Tonight, I call on the Charlton Select Board to reaffirm its commitment to civil discourse and to hold all of its members to a standard that reflects the dignity of public service. I also call on Mr. Singer to publicly retract his false statements.”
Costello closed by pledging to keep doing her elected work by “listening to the residents, advocating for our students, and upholding the values of integrity, inclusion, and mutual respect.”
Costello then turned to the allegations Singer raised about student conduct, including claims that Jewish students had been harassed or threatened. She referenced a reported comment about vandalizing a student’s home made on a school bus and said, “if these incidents did occur, they are deeply concerning.” However, she stressed the importance of handling those matters through appropriate channels. “Such matters must be brought to the appropriate authorities—school administrators, principals, or law enforcement—so they can be properly investigated and addressed,” she said. Costello cautioned against raising “vague or unverified claims in a public meeting without ensuring these students and families receive support or protection,” stating that doing so “does not help victims—it politicizes their pain.” She said that “our focus should be on ensuring a safe environment for all students and our community. That means reporting incidents responsibly and following due process.”
Although Singer was not allowed to respond to Costello during the open forum, he later addressed the matter under Action Item Number 5, titled “Consideration of Request from Selectman Singer,” during the June 10 meeting. Speaking in his official capacity, Singer recounted that his prior calls to action had gone unheeded by both the school committee and the board of selectmen. He said he had initially approached the school committee last March “very respectful, polite,” but the response was dismissive.
He then responded to Costello’s earlier comments that his initial statements in the May 27 open forum were “false and inflammatory.”
“Selectman Singer is not going to apologize for standing up to bullies,” he said. Adding, “Selectman Singer also doesn’t make false accusations, he keeps evidence with dates and names.” Singer then held up printed screenshots of social media posts he described as antisemitic memes.
Referencing his broader concern about rising hate speech, Singer cited the work of the Special Commission to Combat Antisemitism (SECA) in Massachusetts, noting that the materials in question met SECA’s criteria for hate speech. He warned that such rhetoric was not abstract: “Because of those memes on social media, that is why a person drove from Chicago to Washington, D.C., very recently to murder two innocent young people about to be engaged in cold blood because he just thought they were Jews. It is those same memes being spread on social media that caused the person in Colorado to throw homemade Molotov cocktails – I think this was just last week – into a group of peaceful protesters holding signs which they’ve done every weekend for years just saying ‘release hostages,’ one of those burned was a former Holocaust survivor in their 80s, I don’t know if any of them died, but there were a lot of critical injuries. This is happening all over the county including right here in Massachusetts.”
Singer added that it isn’t his job to police every person in town and every board.
“I’ve given everybody and every board ample opportunity to speak up and no one has,” Singer said. “That’s why I’ve asked this board to please send a letter to the school committee, asking them to take a stand. Part of this is because the MTA has just decided to double down on its lies and its propaganda.”
Singer added that it was important for the board to take a stand because the school committee would ultimately shape students’ perspectives. “That is the committee that is going to impact the lives of the children — the way they think, what they’re taught — and I would rather have our children be taught the truth, rather than lies, propaganda, and revisionist history, which is exactly what the MTA has been putting out to school committees in the state of Massachusetts,” Singer said.
Following Singer’s remarks, Selectman Steve Koronis said he agreed with Singer wholeheartedly and praised his tenacity. “David, I’m completely on your side with the whole concept of fighting antisemitism, or hate, or for any religion, any race,” Koronis said. “I applaud your tenacity for sticking up to it and I’m glad this is finally before the board so we can discuss it, what I didn’t like was the implication in the newspaper that our board was ignoring the topic.”
Singer replied, “I didn’t write the article.”
Selectwoman Barbara Zurawski then said, “I have absolutely no problem signing that letter at all. Me, coming from a different country and coming from situations that are similar to this one that is happening right now, I can tell you right now that the rise of antisemitism in this country is — at best — alarming. And if I can feel it, coming from a communistic regime, trust me — it’s here.”
Singer then read the letter into the record, adding that the letter was never about any specific individual. The letter reads as follows:
“Superintendent Lamarche and members of the Dudley-Charlton School Committee:
At the Select Board meetings on March 25, April 8, and May 27, concerns were expressed by Selectman Singer regarding recent social media posts and member resources provided by the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), which promoted materials concerning the Israel-Hamas war. The specific concern was that the materials being promoted reflected a position of antisemitism as it relates to this conflict.
In respect for Selectman Singer’s comments, we ask that the Superintendent and School Committee take a public stance against antisemitism, bigotry, and racism by stating publicly that it will not be taught or tolerated in any way, shape, or form within the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District.
In late February, the Massachusetts Teachers Association released a statement that it would remove objectionable materials included in an online educational resource, following concerns over antisemitism raised at a February 10 legislative hearing of a Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism — the SECA.
As the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District teachers union is a member of this broader association of teachers’ unions, we recognize that members of the teaching community may have used or distributed these materials — within the classroom and through social media — which do not align with the core values and beliefs of the community regarding antisemitism, bigotry, and racism.
A lack of response to condemn these messages has led to an escalation in hateful acts in the community. In response, we ask that the superintendent and school committee:
- Prepare and release a public statement condemning the distribution of these materials;
- Refuse to utilize materials provided by the MTA related to the Middle East conflict;
- Reiterate that the Dudley-Charlton School District is no place for hate.
We thank you for considering taking strong and decisive actions in response to this situation.
Sincerely,
This Board”
Selectwoman Zurawski then made the following motion: “I move to approve the letter to be sent to the school committee, conditional to any objections from Town Counsel.”
The motion was seconded and brought to a vote.
The board voted 4 -1 in favor of sending the letter. Chairwoman Karen Spiewak was the lone vote in opposition.
“I just want to say, for the record, I just can’t get behind it — not because I don’t believe in what you’re talking about, but because of the process that led us here to this point in time. It’s all about the process for me,” Spiewak said.
Singer replied, “I would just say — it’s just my opinion — that this has nothing to do with process. To me, process is an excuse.”
