The following statement was posted to the SOMA Justice Facebook group on August 7, 2020, following incidents of vandalism and trespassing at the homes of Maplewood Township Committee members Vic DeLuca and Greg Lembrich:
SOMA Justice believes in making and building a warm and welcoming community that is committed to justice, equity, and meaningful dialogue. We were deeply saddened to hear that someone recently posted yard signs with inflammatory language outside the homes of two of our community’s elected leaders, making them feel violated and unsafe.
We are grateful for the service of our town’s leaders — they are our neighbors and our friends. We believe that we are better when we listen to each other, when we learn from each other, and when we look out for the most vulnerable community members among us.
We will continue to work with our leaders to make our towns safe and welcoming for all residents in our community.
— SOMA Justice: Addressing Race and Inequality in Maplewood and South Orange
