The President of the United States has rescinded civil rights programs, has threatened to withhold funding from diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and has announced plans to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education. A group of other states has sued to repeal Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

These actions endanger decades of including people with disabilities and others in our national melting pot. While I am alarmed and saddened by these threats to our civil rights, I believe that Connecticut can resist this assault and protect our residents.

Did you know that the State Constitution declares that “No person shall be denied the equal protection of the law nor be subjected to segregation or discrimination in the exercise or enjoyment of his or her civil or political rights because of religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex or physical or mental disability.”?

Our State Constitution also affirms that “There shall always be free public elementary and secondary schools in the state” and Connecticut enacted a law requiring special education 15 years before the federal government did so. Did you know that, in Connecticut, the membership of each state appointive board, commission, committee, and council must reflect the gender and racial diversity of the state?

Not all states guarantee free public education and equal protection of the law. Not all states require diversity in their public boards and commissions. We do, and these are just a few examples of Connecticut’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

However the federal government erodes the civil rights of diverse peoples, Connecticut can do better. I am proud of the actions by our federal delegation in Washington D.C. to resist the assault on public programs and civil rights. I am proud of our Gov. Ned Lamont for confirming that our enduring values include hope and opportunity for dreamers from around the world, yearning to breathe free.

I am proud of our Attorney General William Tong for joining other states in federal courts to stop unilateral abuses of power by the federal government. The State Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) has declared, “The actions at the federal level do not remove civil rights protections under Connecticut state law, and the CHRO remains steadfastly committed to enforcing civil rights antidiscrimination law for all protected classes and people.”

I am not Pollyanna. Intentional work will be required to ensure that, here in Connecticut, there is no discrimination in the exercise or enjoyment of civil or political rights because of religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, or physical or mental disability. Where federal funding is withheld, Connecticut must find the means to compensate. There will be choices to be made. We must consider our priorities.

Our Secretary of the State has launched a new campaign, the Power of Civics, to promote the importance of civic education and civic engagement by encouraging and enabling people to participate in their communities, identify issues, and work to solve problems. Get involved!

We can do this! We can be the city upon a hill.

Walter Glomb is Executive Director of the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities.

New details have emerged in the shocking story of a 32-year-old Connecticut man allegedly held captive in a single room by his father and stepmother for 20 years.

Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested Wednesday, nearly a month after Waterbury police and firefighters responded to a fire the man lit inside the home Feb. 17.

While receiving medical care after the fire, the 32-year-old said he had been held captive in the home since he was 11 years old.

“I wanted my freedom,” he told first responders.

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The Waterbury Police Department Major Crimes Unit and Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office launched an extensive investigation that found the man endured prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect and inhumane treatment, according to a statement from the department.

Subsequent arrest warrants revealed the man was locked inside a room nearly 24 hours each day without heat or air conditioning, The Associated Press reported.

He was also provided two sandwiches and two bottles of water on a daily basis, which he rationed for soapless baths, according to the report.

Kim Sullivan, who is charged with neglect, stands with her attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, right, during her arraignment Wednesday at Waterbury Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn.  (Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool)

When he was found, the man weighed just 69 pounds, standing at 5-foot-9, the AP reported. Having no access to a bathroom, he funneled his waste through straws that led to a window.

Police noted the man was starving while still attending school, often stealing food and eating out of the garbage, according to the report. When he ate, his teeth would break due to lack of dental care.

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Sullivan was arrested and is charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree.

Kimberly Sullivan was charged with kidnapping and cruelty for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson captive for more than 20 years.  (Waterbury Police Department via AP)

Her bond was set at $300,000, and she was later released by the Connecticut Department of Corrections.

Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo called the suffering the man endured “heartbreaking and unimaginable,” noting the man has since been diagnosed with PTSD and depression.

While authorities are investigating how the man fell through the cracks as a child, Spagnolo told the AP police only had two interactions with the family, both in 2005.

Police responded to reports of a fire at a residence on 2 Blake St. in Waterbury, Conn. (Google Maps)

One call was a welfare check prompted by reports from classmates. Another was after the family filed a harassment complaint against school officials for reporting them to state child welfare officials, according to the report.

Officers noted there was no cause for concern, Spagnolo told the AP.

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) said it is continuing to look for records of agency involvement, according to the report. However, unsubstantiated reports of neglect or abuse are erased five years after the conclusion of the investigation.

Kim Sullivan stands between her attorneys Jason Spilka, left, and Ioannis Kaloidis during her arraignment Wednesday at Waterbury Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn.  (Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool)

“We are shocked and saddened for the victim and at the unspeakable conditions he endured,” the department said in a statement to the AP. “The now adult victim has shown incredible strength and resilience during this time of healing and our hearts go out to him.”

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Tom Pannone, former principal of the defunct Barnard Elementary School in Waterbury, told NBC Connecticut administrators reported the alleged abuse to police and “not a damn thing was done.”

The Waterbury Police Department, Waterbury Public Schools and Connecticut DCF did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.