SMFNews: Town Official Resigns After Calling Muslims ‘a Cancer’
WATERFORD, Conn. — An elected member of Waterford’s Representative Town Meeting has resigned after writing in a Facebook comment that Muslims are “a cancer to this country,” according to The Day, a newspaper in New London, Connecticut.
Ursula Moreshead, who represented District 1 on the town’s legislative body, apologized in a statement on Thursday, Oct. 22, and resigned the same day. Her name has since been removed from the list of members on the town’s website, where the seat is now listed as vacant, The Day reported.
What she wrote
Moreshead posted the comment under another Facebook user’s post about a Muslim candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan. “These are the conversations that Americans should be having instead of feeling sorry for Muslims,” she wrote. “They are a cancer to this country (and others).”
In her statement to The Day, Moreshead said she was “angry and scared” about extremist ideologies tied to “smaller radical groups around the world.” She added: “I see that my comments rightfully and deeply angered people, and for that I truly apologize.”
“My feelings of global discourse towards large radical groups do not reflect my feelings about my community or about the Waterford residents whatsoever,” she said. According to CT Insider, she also said, “I should know better and I will do better.”
Local and civil rights reaction
A local political town committee in Waterford condemned the comments as “hurtful and unacceptable,” The Day reported. “There is no place for religious intolerance, discrimination, or hateful language in our community,” the committee said. “Elected officials have a responsibility to represent and serve everyone in their community, regardless of their religion, background, or beliefs.”
The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT) welcomed the apology in an Oct. 23 statement and called for follow-through.
“Accountability is an essential first step, but it must be followed by meaningful engagement, education, and a firm commitment to ensuring that all residents, regardless of their faith or background, feel safe, respected, and welcomed in our state,” said Farhan Memon, the chapter’s chairman.
Moreshead also works as an advanced clinical social worker in the Norwich office of the state Department of Children and Families, according to The Day. The department had not commented on the matter, the newspaper reported.
Why it matters
Local officials make decisions that touch the daily lives of every resident, including Muslim families. The quick apology and resignation in Waterford came as civil rights groups report rising anti-Muslim hostility nationwide: CAIR says it recorded 8,683 complaints of anti-Muslim bias in 2025, the most since it began publishing reports in 1996.
“Public officials serve everyone, including the Muslim families in their towns. Accountability matters, and so does what comes next: getting to know the people you represent,” said Rahat Husain, executive director of the Shia Muslim Foundation.
Sources: The Day (Oct. 22, 2026); The Day (Oct. 23, 2026); CT Insider; CAIR (Oct. 23, 2026); Mahjar Post.
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