HANOVER - September 22 - Hanover Select Board member Vanessa O’Connor refused to resign Monday night after facing nearly two hours of public comments over her sharing of another individual’s Facebook post that called slain political activist Charlie Kirk “a racist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, xenophobic hateful bigot” and declared “there is no hate like Christian love.”
The Full Story
The controversy stems from a post O’Connor shared on her Facebook Stories following Kirk’s recent assassination. The post, originally written by activist and former professional baseball player Danny Collins, criticized those mourning Kirk and concluded with the statement “You are grieving the death of a Nazi.” The post also referenced “the ignorance of white Christian nationalists” and stated “I will never be a safe space for Nazis.”
What began as a routine Select Board meeting transformed into an extraordinary public airing of community division, with over 25 residents speaking during a 90-minute public comment period focused entirely on O’Connor’s social media activity. The majority called for disciplinary action such as her resignation or censure.
Select Board Chair Rhonda Nyman opened the meeting by reading a prepared statement addressing “numerous emails and phone calls” about the social media post, emphasizing that “comments made by individual select board members are neither intended to reflect the feelings or positions of the board.”
Resident Mike Cianciola called for O’Connor’s formal censure, arguing she violated the board’s operating policies requiring “the highest level of integrity.” He contended that “by amplifying a message that demeans Christian residents, that policy was violated” and that O’Connor was “speaking as someone elected to represent every resident of Hanover.”
Many speakers identified themselves as Christians who felt personally attacked. Jeanne Cianciola declared, “I am not a Nazi. I am not a white supremacist. And if any elected official believes I am either of those things, then you are incapable of representing me fairly.” Several shared family military service histories, expressing offense at what they viewed as casual use of Nazi terminology.
James Cirafice claimed O’Connor or her supporters called him “a Nazi and a racist” online after he reposted her Facebook content with criticism. “For an elected official to post diverse comments like this... then for her circle to smear residents who dare to speak up, this is shameful,” he said.
Chris Saunders, identifying himself as a veteran, argued that while O’Connor has First Amendment rights, “there’s also consequences to those actions.” He suggested that labeling people as Nazis could contribute to violence: “You call him a Nazi to justify violence against him.”
However, several speakers defended O’Connor’s right to free speech and criticized harassment directed at her family. Doug Thompson called her “an incredibly kind, gifted, and dedicated public servant,” noting she maintains separate personal and Select Board social media pages. “If I had made that same post... it’s free speech,” he said.
Meredith O’Hayre-McCarthy defended O’Connor’s record of public service. “As a dedicated member of the select board, Vanessa has consistently demonstrated her commitment to public service, thoughtful leadership and a genuine desire to improve our community,” O’Hayre-McCarthy said. She criticized the focus on “personal convictions that have no bearing on her ability to serve” and questioned why people from other communities were attacking an official who doesn’t represent them. “Vanessa deserves our support, and not our suspicion.”
Multiple speakers referenced threats against O’Connor and her family, including posting of her children’s photos online and contact with her employer. “This was a personal post to her personal friends” that “wasn’t put on a public space where it was meant for the town to see,” said Amy Lipman-White.
Gabrielle Mahoney highlighted O’Connor’s long-standing community involvement and criticized the personal attacks. “Vanessa has been an integral part of this town since I saw her at town meeting when she was carrying an infant, many years ago,” Mahoney said. “She’s dedicated many hours away from her family to help make our town what it is.” She condemned the threats against O’Connor’s family, stating that “putting a family’s life in jeopardy because you did not agree with someone’s belief is unacceptable.“
When O’Connor finally spoke, she offered a carefully worded apology while defending her actions. “I want to apologize to my colleagues on the select board, the town of Hanover and my family for all the trouble that a quote I shared on Facebook stories... has caused them,” she said. However, she maintained the post “rejected White Christian Nationalist sympathy” and “condemned a bigot who cloaked hatred in religious language. It did not condemn people of faith.”
O’Connor acknowledged that some interpreted the post as “a broad indictment of religion” and apologized to “anyone who understood it that way,” but stood firm on her underlying beliefs. She detailed what she characterized as racist and misogynistic harassment, reading multiple explicit messages including references to her race, with attackers calling her a “Black DEI bitch,” “liberal woke vile feminist,” “Blacks have been given every fucking opportunity…its proven that it doesn’t fucking work,” and suggesting “these people all need to be rounded up by the military and taken to truth re-education camps now.”
Most significantly, O’Connor categorically refused calls for resignation. “I will not be silenced, intimidated, or chased out of public service,” she declared. She attributed the controversy to “a small, determined and disproportionately loud group led by Nick Spolsino, who has opposed me since the first time that they saw my face, and used similar tactics to try and intimidate and embarrass Selectwoman Hughes in the spring.”
The meeting also addressed other town business, including voting 4-1 to hold a December 8, 2025 special town meeting for MBTA zoning compliance. Town Manager Joe Colangelo warned that non-compliance could result in state intervention, including appointment of a special master to impose zoning without local input.
In other actions, the board approved updated financial policies and authorized gift accounts for the Winter Festival and Veterans Services comfort dog program.
Why It Matters
The controversy highlights deep divisions within Hanover’s community over the appropriate boundaries for elected officials’ personal expression on social media. While O’Connor maintains her right to personal opinion, critics argue that elected officials are held to higher standards and their words carry additional weight in representing the community. The incident raises questions about political polarization at the local level and the challenges of governing in an era of intense national political division.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Set special town meeting for December 8, 2025 for MBTA zoning. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-1. (Timestamp: 11:39)
Motion: Approve updated financial policies. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:57:24)
Motion: Authorize gift account for Winter Festival. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:06:20)
Motion: Authorize gift account for Veteran Services comfort dog program. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:10:26)
Public Comment
Public comment dominated the meeting, with over 25 residents speaking during a 90-minute period focused entirely on Select Board member Vanessa O’Connor’s controversial social media post about slain political activist Charlie Kirk. Many called for O’Connor’s resignation or censure, while a smaller group defended her right to free speech and criticized harassment directed at her family and attempts to get her fired by her employer.
What’s Next
The Select Board will continue with regular business, including discussion of land disposition proposals for 188 King Street at the next meeting on October 6. The MBTA zoning special town meeting is scheduled for December 8, 2025. No formal action was taken regarding O’Connor, and there is no recall mechanism for elected officials in Hanover.
corrected the vote count for the special town meeting