Request that Allison Rozek voluntarily cede the chair of the Village Board immediately

Dear Shorewood Village Trustees,

We, the residents of the Village of Shorewood, WI are deeply concerned about the recent actions and behavior of our Village President, Allison Rozek. We request that she voluntarily cede  the chair  of the Village Board immediately so that appropriate accountability measures can be put into place and the important work of our Village Board can continue. Our specific concerns are listed below:

At 10:58 pm on Saturday May 30, 2020 a curfew was imposed on the Village of Shorewood  starting at 11 pm. The curfew was apparently unilateraly imposed by President Rozek without the recommendation of the police chief or the Village manager. No explanation was provided regarding the decision to impose the curfew, and the reasons  remain unclear.  The last minute announcement caused great inconvenience in our Village.  For example: Metro Market was in the process of stocking their store and had to abandon their entire stocking process. Food was unnecessarily wasted during a time when certain food products were already low in inventory. Not only that, but it created a difficult situation for all residents who had to scramble to comply with very short notice, and especially for our residents of color who come under more intense scrutiny in these situations.

More recently, Rozek’s lack of leadership and slow response to the racist incident in Shorewood that has caught national attention – a Shorewood resident’s blocking of a peaceful protest march organized by Shorewood students and spitting in the face of a black student. It took President Rozek more than 24 hours to even respond and release a statement about the incident.

We also are concerned by the recently exposed information related to the Village Board’s anti-racism work in Shorewood. This information that revealed that Rozek voted against holding the YWCA’s “unlearning racism” course for the Board and Village management.  As former Shorewood Trustee  Ann McKaig's wrote,  "It is necessary to confront some immediate barriers to the ability of the Village Board to be an ally in addressing the hate that Black and Brown students and residents experience each day in Shorewood. This action cannot wait and these barriers have harmed people.

President Rozek, the truth is that you have been unable to lead. You obstruct efforts to speak about racism and white supremacy in Shorewood. The meetings you chair are chaotic and unproductive. Our local government has been suffering from these shortcomings  for over two years. Anti-racism work is a critical public service and failing in these ways is downright hateful and disregards how people of color are treated in Shorewood." 

We request immediate action and thank you for your consideration.