In 2004, the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council (MYLC) was formed at Stamford High to address social issues in the community. The MYLC members have committed their advocacy efforts toward various undeniably worthy causes, including teen dating violence, mental health, sexual assault, and bullying.

Twelve years later, MYLC has been accused of operating under the same culture of intimidation that they advocate against.

Three former MYLC members spoke to The Round Table about alleged fear and bullying in the organization, and have asked to remain anonymous due to concerns of retaliation.

These former members of MYLC cite its adviser, Bob Kocienda, as a primary instigator of this fear and intimidation. One of the ex-members said that Kocienda, “really intimidates and bullies people,” while another said that Kocienda reprimands the MYLC members in a “short, condescending tone with no positive feedback on how to be more involved.” A third former MYLC member said, “I really liked being part of MYLC when I initially joined as a freshman, but by the time I was a senior, if I couldn’t participate in an activity, Bob began to intimidate me and make me feel uncomfortable passing him in the hallways.”

The aforementioned intimidation is also allegedly exhibited through some of the activities and programs that they coordinate. One former MYLC member said, “I feel that most of the time, people do activities because they know and fear they will be on the verge of getting kicked out if they don’t, rather than actually wanting to do it.”

The same ex-member described MYLC’s Drop Dead Day, where “students have to lay on the ground in the middle of downtown Stamford.” According to the former member, strangers have come up to the participating members and harassed them, and some members were fearful for their safety. The ex-member stated that the event is mandatory, and if a MYLC member does not attend, he or she “will be on the chopping block, or very close to it.”

Stamford High students have divided opinions about the organization. Senior Doron Feller, who is not affiliated with MYLC, said, “MYLC too often seems to want to just identify the problem without engaging in any discussion on how to cure it.” Justin Wexler, a former member of MYLC, questioned their activist demonstrations, saying, “A lot of what they do is meaningless and does not help society at all. Holding signs about dating violence does absolutely nothing to end it, so what’s the point?” Wexler went on to say, “Printing out photos of the members in the hallway makes me question whether the club is for photo-ops, or for activism.”

However, Sophomore Mileena Donawa, a member of MYLC, said, “I understand why members may feel as though MYLC pressures its members into doing things, but making people participate in activities ensures that people are supporting the cause.”  Junior and MYLC member Briana Hidalgo spoke in defense of Kocienda, saying, “Bob is one of the nicest people I have ever met. I would never call him a bully. If you feel uncomfortable with any activity being held, you can express that. Bob always understands if someone is uncomfortable or has something else going on and cannot attend.”

Both Kocienda and the student-led MYLC Executive Committee opted not to respond to these allegations. If any readers would like to comment on these allegations, please feel free to do so either in the comments section below or as a Letter to the Editor. The Round Table recognizes that there may be more dimensions to this story, and we would like to include them. The goal is to promote a healthy discussion, not only to make allegations.

Editor’s note: The Round Table traditionally does not include anonymous sources in our stories. However, in this circumstance, we considered it to be appropriate to keep their names anonymous.