🚨 Select Board Addresses Incident Following December 18th Meeting

Incident prompts safety measures, including ongoing police presence

The Reading Select Board opened its first meeting of the new year by confronting a controversial incident that occurred after its December 18th session, sparking a broader conversation about public participation, civility, and leadership.

Board Co-Chair Melissa Murphy began with noting a uniformed police officer will be at all meetings for the foreseeable future and read a prepared statement acknowledging a technical oversight during the December 18th meeting. A resident (Angela Binda) who had raised a hand via Zoom was not recognized for public comment due to limitations in the hybrid meeting setup. Murphy emphasized that the omission was unintentional and pledged to improve procedures to prevent similar issues.

However, what followed after adjournment escalated tensions. According to Murphy, the same resident and her husband then arrived at Town Hall around 10 p.m. and “verbally accosted town staff and volunteers,” behavior she described as “completely inappropriate and unacceptable.” Murphy stressed that while disagreement with officials is a protected right, intimidation and verbal abuse “are never justified.”

Other board members weighed in with differing perspectives.

• Karen Herrick urged the board to set a better example and suggested revisiting the long-standing policy of limiting public comment to the start of meetings, citing concerns about technology and meeting length. Herrick also disputed claims that police backup was called, saying the situation was not escalating.
• Chris Haley countered that a police dispatch audio recording (linked) exists of officers requesting backup long after he already left town hall, underscoring the seriousness of the incident. Haley also noted the importance of maintaining a safe environment for staff and volunteers while balancing residents’ rights to speak. Nothing regarding the incident was “peaceable and orderly” he noted.
• Carlo Bacci read a certified letter he received from the same resident demanding a public apology for prior remarks, expressing disappointment that no apology was offered for their December 18th confrontation.
• Karen Rose-Gillis called for empathy, noting that officials “don’t know what’s going on in someone’s life behind the scenes,” but acknowledged the need for stronger leadership when emotions run high.

The discussion revealed sharp divisions over meeting protocols and the tone of public discourse. While some advocated for restoring stricter comment limits, others defended expanded opportunities for feedback as vital to transparency.

The board did not take formal action but signaled that changes to public comment policy may be considered in future meetings. Murphy closed by reaffirming the board’s commitment to “civil, orderly dialogue with dignity and respect.”

The residents involved in the altercation were not present at Tuesday’s meeting.