Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Town manager fired over Trump flag dispute
The town manager held the job for less than two months.
Previously:
West Boylston Town Administrator James Ryan was fired on Monday following a dispute with Police Chief Dennis Minnich over a Trump flag displayed in the police station’s gym, according to Ryan’s lawyer.
The town’s Select Board voted to fire Ryan in a meeting Monday evening, Ryan’s lawyer, John Clifford, said in a statement.
“The outcome of this meeting was a foregone conclusion,” Clifford wrote in a statement sent to Boston.com. “The Select Board simply acquiesced to Chief Minnich’s demand that James be fired and made it clear that the Chief will be able to enforce the law as he sees fit going forward.”
Advertisement:
Boston.com did not immediately get a response for comment from the Select Board on Tuesday.
The decision to fire Ryan comes days after Clifford warned of this conclusion.
The dispute started when Chief Minnich submitted a letter to the Select Board lodging a complaint against the town administrator, who began the job in January.
Minnich previously told Boston.com that a flag supporting President Donald Trump was in a gym used by officers, a space not visible to the public. When Ryan took a department tour, he asked Minnich to remove the flag, calling it a civil rights violation.
Advertisement:
Ryan allegedly asked another town employee to enter the police department to confirm that the flag had been removed. The employee then took a picture of a second flag that had been put up.
Minnich previously said he found those actions “highly concerning” and a “security violation.”
Minnich did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the firing of the town administrator.
Clifford said that Ryan “acknowledges that he could have handled the situation differently” but insists that no political signs in a public building were “justified.”
Clifford said Ryan expressed “sincere regret” during the meeting that he contributed to what became an “embarrassment and distraction” for the town.
However, although Ryan acknowledges he made some “mistakes” as a new town administrator, he believes he is not responsible for the controversy.
Clifford also noted that the board didn’t seem bothered at the idea of political signs hanging in a public building.
“Regardless of how any of us voted in the last election, one thing was clear; the public wants those in government to do their jobs without any political bias,” Clifford wrote. “That won’t happen in West Boylston.”
Advertisement:
Ryan is reviewing his options for litigation on his termination.
Despite the outcome, Clifford wrote, “He remains grateful for the short opportunity to serve in West Boylston and wishes the town the best of luck in the future.”
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