Latest news with #Vallerand
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Connecticut house of horrors escapee's birth mom slams bail for accused stepmom
The biological mother of the man who was allegedly held captive for 20 years by his stepmother in her Waterbury, Connecticut, home lashed out at the accused woman in an interview with Fox News Digital. Tracy Vallerand, who lost custody of her son when he was 6 months old, slammed his stepmom, Kimberly Sullivan, calling her the "lowest of the low." Vallerand, who noted that she prefers to call Sullivan "it" rather than referring to her as a human being, said Sullivan is a flight risk and shouldn't have been allowed out on bail at all. 'Malnourished Man Held Captive By Stepmom For Decades Set Fire To Home To Escape: 'I Wanted My Freedom' Sullivan was released from jail on $300,000 bond after her March 12 arrest and is required to wear an ankle GPS monitor. Her attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, recently filed a motion to have the ankle monitor requirement dropped. "He needs justice, and he needs to know that people are here for him," Vallerand said of her son. "Right now, he's 32 years old, so he has all the say. My God, he's 32, and he needs to learn to live his life. That is sad on so many different levels." Read On The Fox News App Vallerand was also critical of Kaloidis. "He's doing a good job for her, but he's literally at the bottom of the barrel with the clientele that he has," she said. But it's the lowest of the low that [Kaloidis] aims to be representing, which is pretty sad. I wouldn't be able to close my eyes at night doing that." Bodycam In Connecticut House Of Horrors Shows Suspect After Stepson's Fiery Escape Sullivan allegedly locked her 32-year-old stepson — Vallerand's biological son — in a windowless 8-foot by 9-foot storage closet with no air conditioning or heat and without access to a bathroom for 20 years. He was allegedly kept inside the closet 22-24 hours per day, receiving little food or water, and weighed only 68 pounds when he was rescued from the home after intentionally setting fire to it Feb. 27. In March, Sullivan was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and first-degree reckless endangerment. Vallerand said that during her son's childhood, she tried to reconnect with him multiple times, but that his father, Kregg Sullivan, would not allow it. Kregg died last year. When her son turned 18, Vallerand said she searched the web for him to try to reconnect with him. She couldn't find any records of him, which made her fear the worst. "Well, I mean, things that go through your head where you can't find somebody who's an adult, especially nowadays on social media, it's very rare that you would actually find zero carbon footprints," she said. "Did he run away? What else? So many things go through your head. Now, in this case, he didn't have any death records, so I knew he was still alive." Vallerand noted that her son's father was not technologically savvy, and she thought that perhaps her son simply took after his father in that regard. "A Child Called 'It'" Author Says Connecticut House Of Horrors Case Is Attempted Murder Kaloidis previously denied the allegations against his client in an interview with Fox News Digital. "This has been an extreme shock to her," he said of Sullivan. "She lived a relatively quiet life. Her side of the story is quite simple. She did not harm him. She did not restrain him. She did not imprison him." Kaloidis declined to comment through a spokesperson. Last week, Sullivan's stepson broke his silence, going only by the name "S." "I am much better and stronger than I was the day the first responders carried me out of my home. I am beyond grateful for the care I have received since then," he said in a statement. "To all the health care professionals who have helped and nurtured me, thank you. In addition to all of your care, I appreciated the chance to have my first ever birthday party to celebrate turning 32." "I also want to thank the first responders, the law enforcement investigators and everyone who is working to hold those responsible for my abuse accountable," he said. "Much has already been said that tells part of the story of the abuse I endured. Someday, perhaps my whole story will be told. "I ask everyone involved in my story to fully cooperate with the authorities who are helping me seek justice for these crimes. I also ask the public and the media to respect those investigations and my privacy as this process plays out. This isn't just a story. It's my life."Original article source: Connecticut house of horrors escapee's birth mom slams bail for accused stepmom
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
LGBTQ+ visibility sparks debate at Waterloo school board meeting
WATERLOO, N.Y. (WROC) — In Waterloo, there has been recent discussion on social media surrounding LGBTQ+ visibility in the school district. Wednesday, these folks brought the conversation to the school board. From what News 8 has seen online, there are a couple different perspectives on LGBTQ+ visibility inside Waterloo schools. Those in support of students and faculty talking about the topic — and others saying these discussions should not be happening in schools whatsoever. It was a full house Wednesday night at the Waterloo Board of Education meeting. Almost half of those in attendance, holding signs or wearing shirts, advocating for the visibility and support of transgender students and faculty. Many came from outside the community to be at this meeting, including Rocco Vallerand, who is the founder of the support alliance for fairness and equality for transgender youth, or S.A.F.E.T.Y. 'There are children out there that the only safe space they have is at school. Their home life isn't that great, and if they see some of this stuff going on at school, where do they go? Where are they feeling safe?,' Vallerand said. Folks including Vallerand chose to attend the meeting following a string of comments made by members of the Waterloo community on a Facebook post, discussing LGBTQ+ visibility among staff members in their schools. There were residents who commented on the post in opposition of LGBTQ+ discussion within the district. However, these folks did not speak during public comment at Wednesday's board meeting. However, residents supporting these discussions including Nikki Slater chose to voice their perspective to the board. 'All are valued refers to all students and all staff. It's not just the ones that look like us, that sound like us, who think like us and have the same beliefs as we it's all students and all staff,' Slater said. Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Sarah Cupelli acknowledged the online discussion following public comment. Superintendent Cupelli provided a statement which is currently the first thing to appear on your screen when visiting the district's website. 'Recognizing that misinformation unfortunately often spreads on social media, the Board of Education and I, Superintendent of Schools, wish to clarify that the district is an equal opportunity employer. The district has not and will not terminate or discipline any employee or individual due to protected viewpoint, affiliation or status,' Superintendent Cupelli said. Recognizing that misinformation unfortunately often spreads on social media, the Board of Education and I, Superintendent of Schools, wish to clarify that the District is an equal opportunity employer. The District has not and will not terminate or discipline any employee or individual due to protected viewpoint, affiliation or status. While the District is unable to share specific details related to any personnel matter, all decisions related to termination and discipline are based solely on legitimate business reasons, such as serious violations of Board of Education Policies and/or the District's Code of Conduct and/or neglect of duty. The District reserves all rights and will defend itself against defamatory statements and false claims. Sarah CupelliSuperintendent of Schools Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
