Security being upgraded at town hall
Dec. 2—WILLIMANTIC — Security at town hall is being upgraded following an unexpected disruption by a first amendment rights group in October.
Members of the "Accountability For All" group visited town hall in October and recorded their interactions with town staff, including Windham Assistant Town Clerk Terra LeBlond.
A video of the incident was posted by the group, who claimed they were conducting a first amendment "audit," on YouTube a month or so ago.
LeBlond, who was visibly irritated in the video, asked the man who was recording not to record her, noting he "didn't have permission" to record her.
The man, who is not identified, said in the video he didn't "need permission."
Instead, he and a woman can be heard on the video harassing LeBlond, asking another employee if she was "protecting her territory" and calling her " terrible," wordplay on LeBlond's first name.
"They caught our clerks off-guard," Windham Town Manager Jim Rivers said during the Nov. 15 town council meeting. "They were in their face with cameras."
The Accountability for All group and LeBlond could not be reached for comment by presstime.
During the interaction, the group was shown a sign saying they could not use a cellphone beyond that point, which was hung in the lobby outside the town clerk's office.
The incident was reported to Willimantic Police, who could not be reached for comment by presstime. Windham Town Clerk Patricia Spruance politely gave the man recording a tour of the vault, which was recorded in the video.
Spruance could not be
See MAKING, Page 4
