To Whom it May Concern:

My name is Susan Frazer. I will not attend Court today to speak, because I am a
dedicated teacher and my place is in the classroom with my students. I will not
allow Ms. DeCosta’s actions of October 11, 2018, to further impact their education
by causing me to be absent.

On October 11, 2018, I was assaulted in my workplace, Noah Webster MicroSociety

Magnet School, by the defendant, Cassandra DeCosta. As the victim in this case, I
vehemently object to the defendant’s application for accelerated pretrial
rehabilitation.

Ms. DeCosta has a history of being verbally abusive to and threatening teachers at
Noah Webster for at least two years. A month before assaulting me this year, she left
a recorded phone message for a male teacher telling him that if he did not call her
back she would “come to the school and act aggressively.” I have written statements
from teachers as well as the saved phone message to support these facts.

When Ms. Decosta entered my classroom and verbally then physically assaulted
me, her conduct affected me physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.
As you know from other court documents, the assault required a visit to the
Hartford Hospital Emergency Room, where I was examined and x-rayed for injuries
to my right shoulder. Although it was determined there was no fracture, I suffered
limited mobility to my right shoulder and arm for several weeks. The injury caused
me to cut short my motorcycle- riding season by almost four weeks. While this may
seem trivial to some, motorcycle riding is my passion and something I enjoy every
weekend as a wonderful way to relieve work -related stress. I resented “losing”
those final gorgeous riding days.

Ms. Decosta’s verbal assault was rife with racial slurs and vulgarity. It was
witnessed by 20 of my students. Coupled with the physical assault, this greatly
affected me emotionally. I relived the scene in my mind over and over again for
days, wondering what I could have done differently to protect my students from her
tirade? I began to have trouble sleeping. I had difficulty falling asleep and staying
asleep. I thought of Sandy Hook, and other schools where acts of extreme violence
have occurred, and I have agonized over whether or not I could have protected my
students had she turned her wrath on them. My school administrator and Central
Office Administrators advised me to seek counseling through the Employee
Assistance Program, and I have done so. I am struggling with mild PTSD and am still
in counseling. As a 20 year veteran teacher in Hartford, I have never experienced
such violence in my workplace. Ever. I think about my students who witnessed this
violence in the classroom and I worry about the trauma they may have internalized.
I worry about what they heard, about how it affected them…having a stranger enter
the classroom, OUR classroom, and spew forth such hatred at a teacher they care
about. I cry often as I relive all of these feelings of helplessness and student safety
over and over again.
 I have taught my entire career at Noah Webster School. I am well-known to many
families. I have attended weddings, funerals, graduations, and birthday parties for
my students and their families. I have taken students into my home to care for them
when their parents had business out of the Country. I have had grade level cookouts
at my home in the summer and have become an integral member of my school
community. Prior to the assault, I was the Vice President of the PTA for the second
year in a row, and I was a teacher liaison to the School Governance Counsel. I tell
you all of this because AFTER the assault, I resigned from both positions and have
had difficulty emotionally even reporting to work, let alone going above and beyond
for my school. The assault caused many rumors among students and parents, many
of whom reached out to me in concern. Sadly, I was not allowed to comment on the
assault, so folks were left to speculate on what had happened. While I believe those
that know me did not partake in rumors, it was emotionally difficult to report to
work and hold my head up while I knew that I was the topic of conversation
regarding a violent event that occurred in front of students. To this day, even with
counseling, I am unable to speak about the events of that day without tearing up and
struggling with my emotions.

Although the financial impact of Ms. DeCosta’s assault seems minimal in

comparison to its emotional toll, it bears mentioning. I saw my personal physician
the following week for non-workman’s compensation follow-up to my injuries. This
out of pocket expense, as well as a prescription for Tylenol, cost me close to $234.00
which, as a single-income parent, is money that should have gone towards groceries
and other family expenses.

In closing, I do understand that it is your Honor who decides if Ms. DeCosta

committed a crime of a serious nature, and whether or not she is likely to re-offend.
Please understand, this crime was of a serious nature to ME. My school is my
workplace and I should feel safe in my place of employment. More importantly,
school SHOULD be a safe haven for my students, for ALL STUDENTS. What
happened to me, and what the students witnessed, is unacceptable behavior to say
the least. I think that it would be inappropriate for Cassandra DeCosta to be
accepted into the Accelerated Rehabilitation Program because I believe that based
on her long history of verbal assaults on teachers, and her verbal and physical
assault on me, that Ms. DeCosta is absolutely likely to re-offend in a similar manner.
I am respectfully asking that you deny Ms. DeCosta entry into this program and
instead hold her accountable for her actions on the day she entered my classroom
and attacked me in front of 20 innocent 5th grade students.

Respectfully,

Susan Frazer
Grade 5 Teacher
Noah Webster MicroSociety Magnet School.