Boxborough police are investigating recent vandalism of a Church of the Good Shepherd welcome sign located on Central Street (also known as Newtown Road) near the Rt 2 off ramp. A vandal used white paint to cover the rainbow fish hung from the Episcopal church’s sign and posted a video of the act to a fascist social media app online. The video was reposted on Reddit, apparently to inform local residents of the incident.
In an email to parishioners provided to the Acton Exchange by church staff, Reverend Eleanor Terry wrote, “Our rainbow fish proudly hangs on our church property and on our Episcopal Church “Welcomes You” directional signs, as statements of our unwavering support of LGBTQ+ people in our community and of our commitment to welcoming all people in the name of the God of Love.”
Interviewed by the Acton Exchange, Rev. Terry further explained, “The rainbow fish sign incorporates two meaningful symbols, the rainbow colors of the Progress Pride flag, which represents diversity and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people, and of the ancient Christian Ichthys fish. The fish design dates to the 2nd century and, according to tradition, was used as a statement of faith and symbol for Christians gathering during a time of persecution. We use the rainbow embossed fish to communicate that our church is a place of welcome and sanctuary for all people, including those who may not always feel welcome or safe in Christian spaces.”
Terry said that some of her members, particularly people from marginalized communities such as LGBTQ+ or recent immigrants, feel violated and quite frightened. “They feel unsafe,” she said. “When something like this happens in your town, it changes how you feel about the place.”
Boxborough Sergeant Detective Nate Bowolick and Chief John Szewczyk told the Acton Exchange in an interview that Acton police initially were notified by someone who had seen the video on Reddit. Acton notified Boxborough, as the sign is located in Boxborough. The case is actively being investigated, so Bowolick and Szewczyk could not speak further, but they said they have some “really good leads” and are hoping to solve the case. The video includes footage of a distinct tattoo on the arm of the vandal.
In a follow-up email to the Acton Exchange, Chief John Szewczyk wrote, “The Boxborough Police Department takes all hate crimes extremely seriously and allocates all necessary resources to ensure all investigations are thorough and complete. We will continue to actively investigate this incident. All members of our community should feel safe and incidents such as this will not be tolerated in our community.” And Sgt. Detective Nathan Bowolick wrote, “We are actively investigating the incident, working in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Police Hate Crimes Unit. We have active leads as the investigation is ongoing.”
Boxborough Town Administrator Michael Johns also wrote to the Acton Exchange. “During my two years here in Boxborough, we have had very little in the way of hate crimes, but any that have been discovered or reported have been thoroughly investigated and taken very seriously within the limits of the law. I’m very confident in the responding officers and command staff; and want to emphasize that, like the law enforcement professionals involved, I and the Boxborough leadership have zero tolerance for hate crime, discrimination, and bullying behavior.”