After the town of Lunenberg quickly and efficiently handled incidents of racism the behavior of some Medford city officials refusing to act upon being made aware of similar hate speech is unconscionable.
1)In early 2003 Human Rights Commissioner Diane McLeod and City
Solicitor Mark E. Rumley heard of the hostile atmosphere at TV3 Medford
when it was located on 40 Canal Street
a)"Deacon" Brian Codi of the New England Baptist Church harassing multiple members of TV3 with his Bible-inspired bullying
b)On again/off again TV3 board member Steven Marra, on the payroll as
station manager on or about December 10, 2002, using the "n" word as
well as the words "spade" and "fag" and laughing about it heartily
c)Green card employee Von Rommel Fernandes of Brazil reported to the
victim of Brian Codi's that he, Von
Rommel, was harassed by Marra, called the "fucking immigrant" -
alleging his dignity was ripped away from him via shouting, orders being
yelled for the "immigrant" to perform menial tasks in a degrading and
allegedly unsavory manner
During this time the "president" of the station, allegedly removed for
two years by the Mayor for alleged financial impropriety over alleged
"barter bucks" and "free memberships for life" with further allegations
of sexual impropriety or other wrongful conduct by a former station
manager with a staffer, informed
members the 40 Canal Street building would be "razed." It was never
razed.
2)Allegations were that the station president, Frank Pilleri, had a falling out with the landlord of 40 Canal Street
3)The station closed down and was in limbo, until City Hall allowed
private broadcasts by the staff and board members to air on Channel 3
via broadcasts from an alleged closet in City Hall
4)Pilleri reopened at 5 High Street hiring a young, inexperienced
station manager so incompetent that he quit of his own volition and went
back to school, realizing he was in over his head. Pilleri defamed
more qualified candidates, at least one who was suspicious
of how
Pilleri was failing to facilitate local programming, which was the station's mandate.Then followed years of vicious behavior aimed at elected officials, a failure to have a city-wide vote, two more station managers who allegedly made the situation a public safety issue for senior citizens and the disabled, lawsuits against a former homosexual member who was harassed daily by disturbed individuals,rumors and allegations of financial improprieties, an election promised the city that was shut down, more lawsuits, the webmaster calling a 15 year old rape victim "a little hustler" and huge breaches of the contract never addressed by the sole oversight, the Issuing Authority, Mayor McGlynn.
Fast forward to 2013 and an investigation into racism, the webmaster arrested for an allegation of a false bomb threat, no access tv during an election, and questions swirling around meeting minutes, appropriate numbers of board members, more harassment and little or no information on the financials.
That the town of Lunenberg was able to address the issue swiftly and shut down the football season at the high school is an example of town officials acting immediately while in Medford, McGlynn has failed to lead and actually worked with the accused, enabled them, even after they hurled their invective at the city solicitor, council members and the budget director.
In Lunenberg a solution was sought immediately. In Medford, the racism and homophobia and bashing of an autistic man and the elderly was never addresses, resulting in swastikas adorning the city and a Mayor distancing himself from the wrongful conduct rather than seeking a solution. In Medford a Mayor turn and ran like a coward after his own cousin, the TV3 attorney, was thrown out of City Hall on October 29, 2008 for calling the TV3 critics "fat, balding, middle-aged." The police removed the Mayor's cousin per order of retired Judge Marie O. Jackson-Thompson. In April of 2010 three members of TV3 harassed a gay male; in August of 2013 the TV3 president received a police escort out of City Hall per order of the council president.
Lunenberg seeks to solve the problem; under McGlynn, the problems escalated.
