West Boylston Fires Administrator Over Trump Flag Incident

The West Boylston Select Board voted 4-1 to terminate Town Administrator James Ryan following a controversy involving a Trump flag at the police station. The issue arose in January when Ryan identified a Trump flag in the police gym and deemed it a civil rights violation, prompting him to request its removal. Police Chief Dennis Minnich complied but alleged that Ryan later sent a town employee to verify its removal, which led to further conflict when another flag was found. The Select Board stated Ryan's firing was due to his unauthorized actions, which could have compromised private information, rather than the flag dispute itself. Ryan's attorney criticized the process, claiming the decision was predetermined and defending Ryan's intentions to maintain professional standards. Despite the termination, the town remains divided on whether Ryan or Minnich acted improperly.