PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Republican leaders are asking for public input ahead of an upcoming oversight hearing on the Washington Bridge forensic report.

The report, recently revealed to have been withheld by Governor Dan McKee at attorneys’ advice, will be the subject of the planned November 13 oversight hearing.

McKee stated that he knew that repairs were needed on the bridge for two years before its December 11, 2023 westbound side closure, but was confident that work was underway.

McKee said that once he was aware the bridge deficiencies were irreparable, he approved the closure.

Rhode Island House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale said in a statement, in part:

Now that the Speaker and Senate President have committed to ‘a thorough and rigorous examination’ of the Washington Bridge failure and have empowered the Joint Oversight Committee to take testimony under oath, Rhode Islanders deserve answers without delay on this on-going administrative disaster.

Residents can contribute questions to the hearing process via email at rigopcaucus@gmail.com.

The mother of a Jewish football player told the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island that five Smithfield football players, all seniors, trapped her son in a bathroom and sprayed him with Lysol while yelling anti-Jewish slurs, according to a representative of the alliance.

The Alliance staff member, Stephanie Hague, says the woman told her the entrapment involved a chair pushed against a door, but it wasn’t clear from the woman’s comments if her son was trapped in a bathroom, or in a particular area of a bathroom.

Hague said she could not further clarify the specific circumstances of the Lysol-spraying but as she understood it, the player was exposed to the spray during the entrapment and other hazing.

Did the Smithfield football players use anti-Semitic slurs?

“The reason I am not sharing the slurs is because they are, one, not suitable for print, but also because there is some dispute of exactly the phrasing,” said the Alliance’s president, Adam Greenman.

“But we do know that they were anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic slurs and the incident was witnessed by 20 other football players,” Greenman added.

Hague said that Greenman’s comment is “correct.” She emphasized that she is not a lawyer or police investigator, but as part of her job at the Alliance, she responds to matters of antisemitism.

Greenman said the organization has talked to the student’s mother and to others who witnessed what took place.

“We feel fairly confident that we understand the details of what happened,” he said.

Alliance putting public focus on district’s response to the incident

SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WLNE) — Special Olympics Rhode Island said it celebrated the completion of the sixth annual Law Enforcement Torch Run at its Fall Festival Sunday.

Organizers said the 70-mile, 24 hour run raised funds and awareness for Special Olympics athletes in the state.

The six members of law enforcement who took part in the run were:

• Jim Baum, Founder of the 24-HOUR SUPER WALK and Assistant Attorney General at the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General
• Zachary Coyne, Police Officer, City of Warwick
• Eric Leclerc, Founder of the 24-HOUR SUPER WALK and Police Detective, City of Cranston
• Mark Lindberg, Field Scientist for Cytiva
• Sarah McNulty, Police Officer, City of Central Falls
• Kerri McWilliams,  Correctional Officer, Department of Corrections Women’s Division

The over $10,000 raised by the event will go towards the organization’s sports, health, and leadership programs.