WEST BOYLSTON, Mass. — In quiet West Boylston, a storm is brewing between its long time police chief, and its newly installed town administrator.
And it all has to do with a Trump flag hanging in a third-floor gymnasium at the police station.
Chief Dennis Minnich said in January during a tour of the police station, Town Administrator James Ryan spotted the banner hanging in a gym that only police officers use.
The next day, the chief said Ryan asked him to remove the flag and to send it to his office, claiming it was a civil rights violation.
Chief Minnich said he reluctantly removed the flag.
Boston 25 News Reporter Bob Ward talked to him on the phone.
“I never told the officers you couldn’t hang a President Trump flag up. I don’t think that’s legit. I think it’s illegal. Its unlawful for him to demand that I turn it over to him. It’s certainly not right,” Chief Minnich said.
The chief says Ryan soon asked another town employee to sneak back into the police station after hours to see if the flag was removed.
That’s when, the Chief Minnich says, it was discovered someone in the department hung up a new Trump flag, which he also took down.
But the chief says the town administrator called him out.
“He’s lied to me. He questioned my integrity. Everybody has their opinion, but I don’t trust it. Right now, it’s, as far as I’m concerned, hostile,” Chief Minnich said.
He is now using up vacation time.
At Town Hall, the Select Board will take up the matter in executive session.
Boston 25 News twice called the Town Administrator, but the calls were not returned.
The chief says he’ll be back to work next week.
“I don’t trust the man, not going to work for the guy. And when I go back to work, either going to report to the Board of Selectmen, Chairman, or there are going to be some issues, because I don’t trust the guy,” Chief Minnich said.
Residents will be able to opinions on this at the next public Select Board meeting Wednesday night.
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