SEYMOUR – The town’s top elected official declined to say whether a board of education member arrested at a baseball game July 11 should be asked to resign from the school board.

“I can tell you as a mom, I hope he receives the help that he needs,” First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said Monday (July 20). 

She was the only official contacted by The Valley Indy for this story who responded.

“As an elected official, his number one priority should be to his daughter. Your first obligation as a parent is to your children, then to the children he teaches, then to his constituents,” Drugonis said. 

Jay Hatfield, 40, was arrested after police said he made inappropriate remarks to an underage male about an underage female. The incident happened during a Yard Goats minor league baseball game at Dunkin Park in Hartford, police said.

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The two underage persons were employees of a merchandise shop. A third employee contacted stadium security about Hatfield’s behavior. Police were called, who described Hatfield as appearing intoxicated and making a scene, according to an incident report.

Hatfield was charged with first-degree trespass and disorderly conduct. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Hatfield has been an elected member of the Seymour Board of Education since 2011. It is a volunteer position. School boards are independent from town government.

Hatfield works as a school teacher at Platt Technical High School in Milford. His employers are aware of the arrest.

Drugonis is also the chairwoman of the Seymour Town Republican Committee. Hatfield is not a member of the committee, but was nominated by the committee to run on the Republican ticket.

The information released so far about Hatfield shows police believe they had probable cause to lodge charges. It’s the start of the judicial process. Hatfield is next due in Superior Court in Hartford July 31.

“I’m a strong believer that someone is innocent until found guilty in a court of law,” Drugonis said.

Administrators at Seymour Public Schools did not return calls for comment last week or this week. The chairwoman of the school board also did not return inquiries seeking comment.

Elected officials can’t simply be fired for being accused of a crime. Doing so would likely violate U.S. Constitutional protections. However, elected officials are permitted to ask another elected official to resign, and a board has the option to censure an elected official.

Drugonis said there is no recall option available in the Seymour Town Charter or state law.

Hatfield’s lawyer, Trent A. LaLima, of BPS Lawyers in East Hampton, emailed The Valley Indy last week to say he would only comment in court.