Complaint to Board of Selectmen about Michele Hassler - Chair Arlington Cemetery Commission

Dear Mr. Dunn and Marie Krepelka,

Below is a complaint concerning the actions of Michele Hassler, chair of the Arlington Cemetery Commission, at a recent public meeting.  Marie Krepelka, please distribute to all Selectmen and include as correspondence received.


This is a formal complaint concerning the actions of the chair of the Arlington Cemetery Commission, Michele Hassler.  The Board of Selectmen, as the appointing authority of the Cemetery Commission, is responsible for control and supervision of the members of the Cemetery Commission.  As such, the Board of Selectmen is the appropriate body to take the necessary actions to remedy the situation described below.

On August 14, during a scheduled, regular, public open meeting of the commission with agenda that included a request by me to petition the commission, Ms. Hassler engaged in a series of disrespectful and unprofessional actions. Before the meeting started, I informed Mrs. Hassler that I intended to record the meeting, as is my right as defined in M.G.L. Chapter 30A Section 20(e).  Instead of accepting this as the required notification, Ms. Hassler attempted to deny my ability to exercise this right.  Three times she said she would not allow recording of the meeting.  In addition, she claimed that I had been denied this right before, an intentional falsehood intended to harm my reputation.

Once the meeting started, Ms. Hassler demanded that I not record the meeting, stating two falsehoods, at least according to an account provided later to me by Assistant Town Manager Andrew Flanagan.  Ms. Hassler stated that she talked to Town counsel twice and was informed that I could not video tape the meeting. Mr. Flanagan has written me that Ms. Hassler, Fire Chief Jefferson and he had not yet spoken with Town Counsel Juliana Rice at that time, but had spoken once to paralegal Bradley who informed Ms. Hassler of my right to record the meeting. Ms. Hassler, along with commissioner William McCarthy, then threatened to have me removed from the meeting, demanding that I leave if I tried to record the meeting.

When I read the relevant section of M.G.L. Ch.30A Sec.20(e), Ms. Hassler left the meeting without adjournment with Assistant Town Manager Flanagan and Fire Chief Jefferson.  She reached Town Counsel Juliana Rice at that time, according to Flanagan, who informed her of my right to record the meeting.  Not satisfied, Ms. Hassler then either called the Arlington Police Department or asked Flanagan and/or Jefferson to do so where false statements to the police dispatch were made requesting officers for a disturbance at the Chapel in the cemetery where the meeting was taking place.

Three police officers were dispatched to the meeting place.  When Ms. Hassler restarted the meeting, she made the statement that I would be removed if I caused a disturbance "again".  I have a video recording of the entire meeting.  A reasonable observer would agree that at no time did I cause any type of disturbance, certainly not one that warranted three police officers.

As the meeting progressed, Ms. Hassler was rude, interrupting me several times, badgering me with demands to answer her irrelevant, leading questions, acting in a condescending manner, refusing to discuss the agenda item which brought me to the commission, speaking for the entire commission, never taking a vote on the issue at hand and acting in an inappropriate manner.

All of this can be seen in videos and commentary on this webpage:
http://truepersons.com/2013/08/14/hassled-er/

I am a Town Meeting Member and have spoken at more than 100 public meetings.  Not once have I been asked to leave, been admonished for my behavior during a meeting or been subject to the kind of intimidation on display by Ms. Hassler.

Recently, we have heard calls from Board of Selectman chair Dan Dunn about civility in public discourse.  Ms. Hassler's actions were the most uncivil imaginable.  

I am asking that the Board take immediate action.  That the Board hold a public hearing into Ms. Hassler's behavior and that, without mitigating circumstances, the Board remove Ms. Hassler from the Cemetery Commission immediately for conduct unbecoming an official of the Town of Arlington.  

Sincerely,

Stephen Harrington
Town Meeting Member
Precinct 13