Bethany, Conn., Parks and Recreation director, Janice Howard, resigned this week after outrage from parents and community members who learned a former department employee was under investigation for sexual assault and the director did not make it known to the public.
Anthony Mastrangelo is accused of sexually assaulting five young girls. Mastrangelo worked as a camp counselor, volunteer and substitute teacher, even working with Bethany Public Schools. The allegations were first made in December of 2022. He was removed from his positions at that time, but no announcement was made to parents in the community. Because no one else knew about these allegations, private organizations and families continued to hire Mastrangelo to work with their children, endangering even more young girls.
The town’s Board of Selectmen held a meeting with Parks and Recreation Department officials and parents this week to get to the bottom of the issue. First Selectwoman, Paula Cofrancesco said in this week’s meeting, “We were told that we could not address the issue while the police investigation remained open and were told investigative authorities would follow up with us. That investigation lasted an alarmingly long time, and I was never contacted by anyone from day one.”
Anger from parents only intensified when it came to light during the meeting that Howard had a close personal relationship with the Mastrangelo family, even going on vacation with them. And, after Mastrangelo was let go from the department, Howard’s husband hired him instead. Howard’s interactions with a known child predator were not tolerated by parents at the meeting, and she handed in her resignation.
In the wake of the sexual assault allegations and recent meeting with city officials and parents, the Parks and Recreation Department in Bethany have implemented a new “hands-off” policy for their employees and volunteers. This policy means that they cannot touch children in their programs including piggyback rides or allowing children to sit on staff’s laps. Along with these measures, the department also added security cameras to their facilities.
