The Autism Society of Maryland vigorously condemns the hate speech made during the Howard County Special Education Citizens Advisory Council Meeting on November 12, 2024. This was a cowardly attack on the volunteer leaders of SECAC, who have put themselves forward to support the needs of parents of students with Autism and other disabilities. This event is especially painful for AUSOM because of our strong and ongoing partnership with SECAC. We call on all leaders in Howard County to join us in speaking out against hate speech and bigotry that have been spreading across the nation and sadly now have reached Howard County.