New Milford business painted with racial slurs

David and Senka Thompson found racial slurs spray painted on the front of their newly opened restaurant, Thompson's, at 300 Kent Rd. in New Milford Wednesday morning, August 23, 2017. David and Senka Thompson found racial slurs spray painted on the front of their newly opened restaurant, Thompson's, at 300 Kent Rd. in New Milford Wednesday morning, August 23, 2017. Photo: Carol Kaliff / Hearst Connecticut Media Buy photo Photo: Carol Kaliff / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 48 Caption Close New Milford business painted with racial slurs 1 / 48 Back to Gallery

NEW MILFORD — A family that awoke Wednesday to find their Kent Road restaurant had been spray-painted with racial slurs was buoyed as the day progressed by an outpouring of sympathy and encouragement from the community.

“People have been stopping by the restaurant all day to show their support, and the phone has been ringing nonstop with people wanting to make reservations,” said Aleksandra Thompson, whose parents David and Senka opened Thompson’s Fine American Comfort Food about two months ago. “We literally called in the entire staff to work tonight because it’s so busy.”

Several of those who stopped by during the day helped remove the graffiti, which included a racial slur and a swastika. Other supporters set up a GoFundMe page to help with cleanup expenses.

Soon after opening for the evening, more than 100 people milled around the restaurant. Patrons packed the bar, and within an hour of opening every table in the cozy restaurant was taken or reserved.

In a back hallway, Senka Thompson cried. “A lot of them I know,” she said. “A lot of them I don’t know. But it shows what I believe — the good will overcome the bad.”

“I’ve been here my whole life and I’ve never seen something like this,” said state Rep. Bill Buckbee, R-New Milford. “But we’re making lemonade from these lemons.”

Scott Elia, of New Milford, couldn’t stay long but said he had to stop by to lend a hand. He asked several employees if there was anything he could do to help.

“To say I was disgusted with the graffiti is putting it lightly,” he said.

Walter Coffey, another New Milford resident, ordered takeout for his son after he learned of the vandalism. “We’re just showing our support for this town, our local businesses,” he said. “There is no room for hate in our town.”

David Thompson, who is black, said police called Wednesday morning to alert him to the vandalism. Even before the community rallied around him and his family, he said he would not be intimidated.

“If I close my doors, that means this person or group who did this wins,” Thompson said. “We’ve been doing pretty good moving forward, and we will not be deterred from continuing our family business.”

Still, he said, “I’m really fearful for my wife and children; that’s my main concern right now.”

Thompson, who grew up in eastern Connecticut, said he and his wife, who immigrated from the former Yugoslavia, moved their three daughters from New York to Sherman two years ago in search of a safer community and better schools.

“Opening up the restaurant has allowed me to have a shorter commute and have the family work together, so we can watch the kids grow up and be part of their lives,” he said. “But my family is very shook up over this. My wife is an immigrant and she’s not used to this. Unfortunately this is part of the American fabric I grew up with.

“I have the utmost confidence in the local police department,” said Thompson, who previously oversaw security at several New York City hotels. “The local police have been great. We’ll let them do what they need to do.”

Mayor David Gronbach condemned the vandalism and reiterated a statement he issued after the fatal disturbances in Charlottesville, Va., last week, saying “Hate has no home here.”

“I am here to say that while hate may live in the hearts of some in our community, we give it no shelter and no safe harbor,” Gronbach said. “I call on New Milford to come together to not only denounce this expression of hate, but to beat it back into the furthest recesses of the twisted heart that harbors it.”

The mayor promised the “full weight of the police department’s resources” will be used to track down and prosecute those involved.

David McGuire, executive director of the Connecticut chapter of the ACLU, said incidents of racially tinged vandalism and harassment have increased around the country since the election of President Donald Trump.

“We are disgusted by this display of hate in New Milford,” he said. “The rise of racist and bigoted vandalism targeting people of color and religious minorities is unacceptable and dangerous. Racism is a Connecticut problem, not just a national issue, and it is up to every one of us to stand up against it.”

DPerrefort@newstimes.com; blytton@newstimes.com