Doug Belanger at the taping of "In and Around Town"
Photo credit: Daniel Castro

LEICESTER, Mass. — Putting aside his Selectman's hat, Doug Belanger went on his LCAC-TV show, "In and Around Town" Wednesday night in an effort to address the Town Administrator's recent decision to put the yet unnamed town employee on paid leave.

While Belanger typically discusses various topics on his show, Wednesday's nights episode focused solely on the events at Monday night's Board of Selectmen meeting.

Citing legal reasons, Belanger could only obliquely discuss the matter that played out after a lengthy executive session.

"Under the rule of law and guidelines of the Board of Selectmen, I am not able or willing to discuss any ongoing legal matters or conversations that were held in executive session," he said.

However, he did bring up concerns he had with policies surrounding the decision, stressing that he was doing so as a lifelong resident of Leicester, and was not representing the views of the Board or Town government.

"I don't agree with some of the things we did, but that's just one man's opinion," he said, following Wednesday's broadcast. "I respect ultimately the vote of the board, I just don't agree with it."

Three out of five members had voted to support Town Administrator Robert Reed's action to put the employee on paid leave, though at the time they did not reveal the name, given the pending investigation. Following the session, Belanger excused himself from the regular meeting early, saying that he was feeling sick.

Yet while little information was revealed, the televised meeting left many residents wondering what was behind the decision, and talking about the employee being investigated.

"I find that there's a lot of rumors going on in town, and it troubles me," said Belanger. "I've been a victim of that, but I now know there are others talking about the town employee that was put on administrative leave, but they don't know the facts — We don't know the facts — let the investigators do their investigating and then leave it at that."

Belanger said he hoped people realize that "this could happen to any one of us," adding that "until something is proven, it's just an allegation. I hope that people just get human about it, and get a little more in their heart and soul, and a little less in their egos and mouth."

During his fifteen minute broadcast, Belanger spoke out against the rumor mill, for "all past, present and future cases of any one of us who repeat half known facts about someone's struggles."

"Whether driven by our own inadequacies, the need to feel important, or even revenge, we should be aware that we're causing irreparable harm to another human being, that if innocent compounds the hurt ten-fold, and if guilty just makes us the premature executioner" he said. "In my opinion, in all instances we should try harder to keep from assuming guilt, at least until we are shown proof otherwise."

While the allegations are also yet to be released, Belanger asked residents to consider themselves in the shoes of someone who was "the victim of a smear campaign, when in your own heart you know you may have made mistakes, but at the time acted on what you thought was allowable, or at least historically a way of doing business."

Belanger said he himself had been turned in once after someone said he had the town decorate a 40 foot Christmas tree in his front yard.

"Even though I borrowed a friend's privately owned bucket truck, and another friend set up staging and I practically killed myself doing the hard work over three weekends while my wife and children fearfully guided me from the ground."

He said that pictures his family had taken had been used as irrefutable evidence that this was not town equipment.

"Even the person or persons who initiate such actions only know their version, and I might add, their motives."

Belanger also explained why he left Monday's public meeting while it was ongoing "for the first time in thirty years" of serving the town in a volunteer capacity.

"I would dare say I've lost as many battles as I've won, but this is different," said Belanger. "As my heart was breaking and my stomach was turning, my temperature was rising, and I heard the voice of my now deceased but very wise dad saying 'if you can't control what you're about to say, maybe you should step away."

While he said he didn't take pride in leaving, and was embarassed by it, he felt it was the right thing to do.

Yet Belanger is also questioning the legal authority of the selectboard's decision.

"I have asked for but have yet to receive an answer to a very simple but important question," he said. "Under what authority, by-law, or rule, does a chairman and/or a town administrator have to suspend someone who is legally appointed by the full board of selectmen?"

Belanger said that after combing through Massachusetts General Law, he was unable to find anything "that even hints at such an authority, with or without the approval of a chairman."

"In fact, the Board of Selectman is charged with creating and supervising policies and procedures," he added. "If we delegate such things to others, unless and until illegality is proven, as a resident first, it is my opinion the Board of Selectmen should accept or at least share some of the blame when things don't go as desired in a more perfect world."