Members of the Rochester community are forming groups and speaking out following thealleged assaultof Chase Coleman.
The autistic teen from Syracuse was running with his school’s cross country team in Cobbs Hill Park on October 14, when 57-year old Martin McDonald of Pittsford allegedly got out of his car, approached Coleman and shoved him to the ground.
"It hit us right in the gut in a really profound kind of way," said Lauren Hall.
Hall and ChaRon Sattler-Leblanc have created a Facebook group called Roc for Chase, which had over 500 members as of early Wednesday afternoon.
Sattler-Leblanc is the stepmother of two teen boys who are on the autism spectrum. She and Hall, both Pittsford residents, were concerned this summer about tensions over race and policing and the recent distribution of white supremacist literature in their town and in Brighton.
Hall and Sattler-Leblanc wanted to demonstrate community solidarity, but weren’t sure how to proceed. When they heard Chase Coleman’s story, they were inspired to act.
Hall said they want to show support for Chase and to advance the community conversation around inclusion and acceptance.
"I hope that this becomes an ongoing conversation within the community and that we can increase not just levels of awareness, but also people willing to act as allies,” she said. “When they see people who may be vulnerable for a variety of reasons, step in, act. Help your neighbors; get to know your neighbors."
Sattler-Leblanc and Hall will bring a banner to the Grocery Run charity event in Rochester on Saturday. They're asking runners who want to show support for Chase Coleman to sign the banner. It will be delivered to Chase at his school.
Rachel Rosner, Director of Education at AutismUp, said her organization offers training to schools, businesses or other groups that want to learn about what autism is and is not.
She also sees an opportunity for a larger discussion.
"I think there's a tenor right now in our society that's very judgmental and people are on edge and quick to assume the worst in others."
Rosner said when people ask how to interact with a person with autism, the answer is the same as with any human interaction: assume the best intentions and treat them with kindness and patience.
"If everybody would take a breath and just remember that almost everybody out there in the community, standing next to you in line at the grocery store, is a good person with good intentions, most of this would not happen."
