Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Resignations leave Mass. town with just one selectman
Charles Sexton-Diranian resigned from the Townsend Board of Selectmen after losing his counseling job due to allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior.
A small Massachusetts town on the New Hampshire border will hold a special election this weekend to replace two of their three selectmen — one who left following sexual harassment allegations and another who said he’s been targeted by a local citizen journalist.
Charles Sexton-Diranian resigned from the Townsend Board of Selectmen in early September after losing his counseling license from the Department of Public Health, according to documents obtained by Boston.com.
Acting Chair Joe Shank stepped down later in September, leaving the town with just one selectman and apparently bringing the board’s activity to a halt. Since then, there have been no Board of Selectmen meeting on the town’s calendar and no meetings posted to their YouTube channel.
Advertisement:
Townsend is holding a special election on Saturday to almost completely replace the town’s leadership. Theresa Morse is the sole board member left. She did not reply to multiple requests for comment.
Townsend selectman resigns after allegations of ‘inappropriate sexual behavior’
Sexton-Diranian, who was a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, worked as a program director at the Crozier House in Worcester from 2022 until March of this year. He was fired after an internal investigation “corroborated multiple reports by residents and staff of inappropriate sexual behavior, sexual harassment, abuse, bullying, intimidation” by Sexton-Diranian, according to the DPH Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.
Residents at the house, a residential substance abuse treatment program for men, reported multiple instances of sexual comments and touching. One resident said Sexton-Diranian “gave him the option to perform sexual acts of touching or get kicked out of the program,” the DPH report said.
Advertisement:
Sexton-Diranian also ordered staff to strip search a client for drugs. Employees “reported not thinking the strip search was right but failed to report the incident due to fear of retaliation by (him),” the report said. He allegedly touched resident’s buttocks during a long hug, put his arm around staff members, sat too close to residents on a couch, and called staff and residents “sexy” or “handsome.”
He would also indicate to staff members that he could read their emails, specifically when reporting his behavior, the report said.
Sexton-Diranian did not reply to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Town said after his Sept. 5 resignation that the issue is “a personal matter that (Sexton-Diranian) is dealing with and the Town does not intend to interfere with.”
Cindy King, a former Townsend Selectman, first reported on the allegations against Sexton-Diranian in an hour-long YouTube video posted in late August. She appeared to be reading from DPH public records and also accuses Sexton-Diranian of election fraud.
“This has everything to do with his position in town because this is about power and control,” King said in a video. She referred to Sexton-Diranian as “a sexual predator.”
Second board member resigns: ‘Not worth it for me or my family’
Less than a month after Sexton-Diranian, Shank resigned from his position on the board. He told Boston.com that after about five decades volunteering in Townsend, he felt he had to step down.
Advertisement:
“The constant criticism, complaining, and false accusations made by members of the community, many of whom don’t bother to watch or attend a meeting or offer any productive solutions, has made serving this position not worth it for me or my family,” Shank said during his resignation speech, which was met by applause.
After Shank mentioned a “productive solution,” he turned and glared at King, who was there filming for her YouTube channel “Reel Deal Around Town,” according to a video she posted.
King was convicted of charges related to a domestic assault and witness intimidation involving her ex-wife during her time on the board, according to court documents.
At the time of the assault, she threatened police by saying, “I am a Board of Selectman member, just wait until Monday and you’ll be sorry.”
She’s run her channel for the past seven months, filming local Townsend meetings, calling out local officials, and discussing local issues. She advocates for a five-person Board of Selectmen in one video, and in another, she films Shank before a meeting as part of her “First Amendment” rights. King also critiqued the town for not recording a board meeting in May due to internet issues.
Advertisement:
Shank spoke against King and her channel, saying her video camera was always in his face during meetings.
“Think about that in your own job, how much abuse would you take before you say, enough is enough,” Shank told Boston.com.
He didn’t comment on the allegations against Sexton-Diranian but blamed King for both resignations.
“It did influence my stepping down because of that kind of bad behavior,” Shank said. “Cindy King and certain people created such a hostile environment for him that there was no way I would ever put my family and jeopardize to put up with anything like that.”
Now, both Shank and Sexton-Diranian’s seats are available. The ballot for Saturday’s election includes the two seats, one with a term that ends in 2026 and the other in 2027.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com