SWAMPSCOTT — The Select Board voted Wednesday night to censure member MaryEllen Fletcher, capping a tense discussion that showed some divisions among residents in the community over how the board enforces accountability.
The vote followed nearly an hour of public comment that swung sharply between calls for Fletcher’s resignation and arguments that the Select Board has, in the past, applied its standards unevenly.
The censure stems from a November incident in which Fletcher went to the police station after receiving an email accusing fellow board member David Grishman of a hit-and-run. An independent investigation from Clifford & Kenny Law later concluded that she violated the town’s code of conduct by giving instructions and requesting assistance from town staff, and for failing to treat another select board member with respect.
Wednesday’s meeting made clear that, for many, the issue went far beyond that single moment. Public comment featured sharp criticism from current and former officials, including Jackie Camerlengo, the former recreation coordinator for the town of Swampscott, who said the findings of the investigations represent a pattern of behavior.
“The investigation found sufficient, credible evidence that a Select Board member violated the code of conduct by directing town staff and inserting herself into a police matter,” Camerlengo said. “That is not a misunderstanding. That is an abuse of position … and for some of us, this misuse of power is not new.”
School Committee members Suzanne Wright and Miguel Contreras also spoke, urging Fletcher to step down from her position on the Select Board.
“At the very minimum, Ms. Fletcher should be censured. But really, I believe it’s time to resign,” Wright said.
Swampscott resident Katie Arrington, who ran against Fletcher for a seat on the Select Board in 2024, also spoke, saying that Fletcher had made disparaging comments about her during a pre-election debate.
“It is time for the drama to stop,” Arrington said. “She needs real consequences for her actions. The investigation recommends censuring Ms. Fletcher through public and or written notice that the official has violated the code of conduct. We should follow through with that recommendation.”
In a split room, a number of residents pushed back on the idea that Fletcher should face consequences beyond her apology, instead arguing that the board has failed to hold all its members to the same standard.
“We have seen a lot of bad behavior,” Swampscott resident Anita Farber-Robertson said. “You don’t stop it by putting it all on MaryEllen … the thing is for us to take ownership and say, from here on in, we will hold each other accountable.”
Tasia Vasilou, the former chair of the Board of Assessors, spoke at public comment to express her frustration with what she described as a lack of equal process when she herself brought concerns to the Select Board about Grishman’s conduct.
“We’ve watched Select Board member MaryEllen Fletcher be publicly criticized over mistakes that she’s addressed, acknowledged, and apologized for,” Vasilou said. “Select Board member David Grishman has demonstrated a pattern of unprofessional behavior, at times with deeply personal attacks against town elected officials, volunteers, advocates, and staff.”
In a public comment submitted to the chair before the meeting, Swampscott resident Nate McNamee called the situation “a glaring double standard,” adding, “accountability should not be selective. It should be consistent, transparent, and fair.”
When the public comment period ended, the discussion carried through to Select Board business, where board members acknowledged that their decision and vote were not easy, but something that they felt necessary to enforce the rules they had all agreed to follow.
Chair Katie Phelan moved to narrow the scope of the censure, recommending that the board focus only on Fletcher’s conduct toward town staff rather than broader interpersonal issues.
“My primary focus and what I ask for us to remember is … ultimately, the public has a way to get rid of us if they don’t like us. They don’t go vote for us. But staff doesn’t,” she said.
Phelan also acknowledged the difficulty of the moment, referencing the friendly relationships she has built with board members and saying the situation had placed an outsized burden on the chair.
“I don’t want to be in this position,” she said, describing the process as “complex and complicated” and emphasizing that her role as chair is not to mediate between adult board members but to “maintain order and make sure the town government continues to function.”
Other members said the findings of the investigation forced them to draw a line.
“When I read the report, when I listened to the police, it took a different turn for me — it felt more severe,” Select Board member Danielle Leonard said. “I’m not sitting here trying to throw stones at anyone, but … at some point, somebody has to stand up and do what’s right.”
Select Board member Doug Thompson said the investigation seemed urgent to him, but stopped short of pushing for anything more than a censure.
“I know [Fletcher] works incredibly hard and is very committed to the improvement of the town … I don’t feel like it’s my place to … discuss resignation,” he said.
Grishman did not make any comments throughout the discussion, though he did vote to approve the censure.
Fletcher reiterated that she had taken responsibility for her actions and urged the board to move forward.
“I take full responsibility for what I did. I made a mistake, and I’m sorry for it,” she said. “I really would like you to just take your vote so we can start doing some real, serious business.”
After the meeting, Fletcher said she stood by that apology but questioned the outcome.
“I apologized the week before — I sincerely apologized, and nothing has changed,” she said. “I do think that I have clearly been held to a higher standard than other members of the board.”
