A Massachusetts town is set to hold a hearing on Monday to decide if the town administrator will be fired following a disagreement with the local police department over a Trump flag. The issue, which has gained attention, highlights a clash between personal freedoms and government policies.
In January, West Boylston Police Chief Dennis Minnich was showing visitors around the police station when town administrator James Ryan noticed a Trump flag displayed in the police gym. Ryan, seeing the flag as a potential violation of civil rights, demanded that it be removed the following day. He instructed Chief Minnich to send the flag to his office. Minnich, however, disagreed with Ryan’s order, arguing that the flag did not infringe upon anyone’s rights. He strongly felt that Ryan’s directive was unlawful.
“I never told the officers they couldn’t display a Trump flag. It’s not right for him to demand I remove it,” Minnich said in response to Ryan’s order. He added that the flag was a personal expression and that removing it was an overreach.
After Minnich initially took down the flag, Ryan allegedly sent an employee to check if the flag had indeed been removed. The employee found that a new Trump flag had been put up in place of the original one. Minnich removed both flags but filed a formal complaint against Ryan, accusing him of questioning his integrity and creating a hostile environment.
Attorney John Clifford, representing Ryan, responded to the allegations, stating that the Select Board had already decided to terminate Ryan, based solely on Minnich’s claims. Clifford criticized Minnich for turning the situation into a political spectacle and argued that Ryan’s actions had been misunderstood.
The upcoming hearing is expected to explore whether Ryan’s actions were justified or if he overstepped his authority. As this case unfolds, it raises important questions about free speech, government overreach, and the proper role of public officials in managing political expression in the workplace. For many, the outcome of this hearing will serve as a barometer for the state of political discourse in local government and beyond.