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‘Instigative reporter’ banned from Worcester City Hall for ‘intimidating’ behavior, city manager says
David Webb has filed 305 public records requests and sent 1,071 emails to the public records access officer, according to the no trespass order.
A self-described “instigative reporter” has been banned from the Worcester City Hall for “intimidating” and “disruptive” behavior, but the reporter says he’s just holding the city accountable.
David Webb, who publishes a Substack, speaks frequently at public meetings, and has filed hundreds of public records requests, said he was issued a no trespass order and a cease-and-desist last week.
“This is to advise you that you must cease this obsessively harassing behavior,” the no trespass order from Worcester City Manager Eric Batista read. “This pattern of behavior is unacceptable. It creates a disquieting and unsafe environment for individuals in and around City Hall.”
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Webb said he is not facing criminal harassment charges. Previously, the progressive activist was assaulted with spray paint in the face before a meeting in City Hall; a Worcester restauranteur was charged after the incident.
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Webb has been ordered to stay from the “City Hall building, and any offices therein, and areas immediately adjacent thereto, including the garage, porticos, entryways, paths of ingress and egress including exterior stairways, the front and rear plazas, and sidewalks surrounding the building and designated for City Hall purposes,” according to the order. The ban is for one year, starting May 27.
“Worcester is scared of democracy and transparency that I am creating,” Webb told Boston.com. “Among other things, I’ve realized I wouldn’t be able to attend Pride this year if they’re banning me from the Common for this.”
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The Worcester Common is in front of City Hall.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for Batista just sent the no trespass order, which also included an order for Webb to cease and desist emailing individual city employees.
Webb called the cease and desist “a Trojan horse.” He noted that he’s heard of people, particularly unhoused people, being issued no trespass orders for City Hall, but never a cease and desist.
“The difference is, I have been a First Amendment advocate, and what they seem to actually be unhappy about is that I am documenting who is not doing their jobs, and then why they’re not able to do their jobs,” Webb said.
Webb has filed 305 public records requests and sent 1,071 emails to the public records access officer, according to the 15-page order, which was hand-delivered to the activist outside City Hall by police.
Batista called Webb’s behavior “repetitive” and “frivolous,” according to the order, noting that he has also sent 502 emails directly to the city solicitor, 478 to Batista’s chief of staff, 370 to the city clerk, 209 to the deputy city clerk, and 912 to the supervisor of records.
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“The difference is, I have been a First Amendment advocate, and what they seem to actually be unhappy about is that I am documenting how some of that who is not doing their jobs, and then why they’re not able to do,” Batista wrote.
In the letter, Batista describes Webb “following employees” with his camera and phone, “jumping in front of an employee’s car,” and shouting at employees. He also said that Webb signed up the city clerk and a city councilor for anti-discrimination training for City of Boston employees.
Webb said that he emails so many employees and files public records requests to hold the officials accountable. Some of his requests include police body camera footage and informing the city that a commissioner has not made “any effort to inform the public about the parks systems.”
“Them sending a cease and desist and accusing me of harassment is now their best legal tactic against providing the public records I have been asking for because I started using a script that systematically addresses the legal tricks they use to avoid providing records,” Webb said.
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