BETHEL — A dispute over comments directed at a resident during an August Town Board meeting returned September 9, as residents accused Bethel officials of applying the town’s code of conduct to the public but not to themselves.

The controversy began with correspondence from Smallwood resident Hilary Nudell concerning a town-owned picnic area on the corner of Pine Grove Road and Lake View Drive.

Nudell described seeing approximately 20 to 25 people grilling and picnicking on a small green near the road while children played nearby. She asked the town to consider removing the tables, establishing a designated parking area elsewhere and requiring permits and fees for large organized groups.

Her longer letter also raised concerns about buses bringing campers to the Forest Reserve, visitors picnicking on private lawns and developers being allowed to contribute to an open-space fund rather than creating recreational space within their developments.

Nudell repeatedly referred to Bethel’s Hasidic community while discussing the incidents. She described the community as insular and said its members may not share the social expectations of Smallwood’s largely secular population.

However, Nudell also wrote that her concerns would apply to any large group misusing public or private land. She identified herself as Jewish, acknowledged the risk of feeding racism or antisemitism and called for meetings among the town’s different communities.

“I hope the arguments I make here will help everyone in the distinct communities within Bethel come to a deeper understanding of mutual values and needs, as well as an appreciation of our distinctiveness and differences,” she wrote.

When Nudell’s correspondence appeared on the August 26 agenda, Councilman William Crumley repeatedly called the letter “disgusting” and referred to Nudell as a “foul human being.”

During public comment last Wednesday, resident Barbara Lerner reminded the board that its meeting rules prohibit slurs, derogatory comments, interruptions, defamation and intimidation.

“You can disagree, but you cannot be disrespectful,” she said. “Not one person on the board tried to tamp down this rhetoric.”

Crumley said he would not retract his remarks.

“No apologies,” he said. “I 100 percent back every word that I said.”

Supervisor Daniel Sturm defended Crumley’s right to condemn the letter. Sturm said board members perceived it as targeting the Hasidic community and found its contents deeply upsetting.

“She used the word ‘Hasidic’ five times,” Crumley said during the discussion.

Sturm said a person could not submit a letter that the board viewed as anti-Hasidic and then expect the town to organize a community meeting.

“You don’t get to write a letter like that, that was perceived by the board, including Mr. Crumley, as being anti-Hasidic and downright a terribly written letter, and then say, ‘Oh, by the way, let’s have a meeting,’” Sturm said.

Councilman Adam Gold said he had read the letter more than once and was saddened by it, but stopped short of describing it as disgusting.

Residents said the issue was not whether Crumley could disagree with Nudell, or whether Nudell’s letter constituted antisemitic or anti-Hasidic language, but whether an elected official could insult and interrupt a member of the public without violating the board’s own standards.

“No member of our Town Board should be in violation of our meeting’s code of conduct,” resident Jonathan Hyman said. “Nobody, particularly our elected officials, ought to be constantly badgering and interrupting anybody while they’re speaking.”

Crumley was then asked directly whether calling a resident “a foul human being” violated the rule against disrespect. Crumley again stood by the remark.

Another resident urged the town to move beyond the dispute and arrange discussions among Smallwood residents, Hasidic representatives and other members of the community. She offered to help facilitate the conversations and said Bethel residents needed an opportunity to listen to one another.

“We need to live with each other,” she said. “The way to do that is to communicate.”