In viral video, Mass. town official tells gadfly: ‘Go f— yourself’

In a now-viral exchange, a Wilmington town official can be seen on video telling a resident to “go f— [himself]” during a Select Board meeting last week, after he made several claims about COVID-19 vaccines and brought up the Select Board member’s day job. 

At the end of the Oct. 10 meeting, which was recorded by Wilmington Community Television, resident Kevin MacDonald stood for the public comment period and held up a sign with a QR code for the film “Died Suddenly,” which falsely suggests that COVID-19 vaccines are killing people “as part of a shadowy plot to depopulate the world,” according to FactCheck.org. 

He raised concerns about potential health issues for municipal employees who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 and the costs the town might incur for their health care. 

Select Board members quickly interjected, questioning the relevancy of his comments. 

“This is a huge issue when people are having myocarditis, blood clots, and other serious problems,” MacDonald said. 

“Who’s had those?” Select Board Chair Gary B. DePalma asked. 

“A firefighter who is probably the best firefighter in town,” MacDonald loudly replied.

“Don’t you raise your voice at me, pal,” DePalma shouted back. 

MacDonald repeatedly pressed town officials to answer questions about an alleged COVID-19 vaccine mandate for town employees. However, Town Manager Jeffrey Hull later rejected MacDonald’s claims, telling Boston 25 News and The Lowell Sun that Wilmington employees weren’t required to get the vaccine. Boston.com has reached out to Hull for comment. 

As MacDonald’s line of questioning continued, Select Board member Lilia Maselli excused herself from the meeting. At that point, MacDonald turned his attention to Maselli, going on a tangent about her job at the local semiconductor company Analog Devices.

“I am not an Analog employee sitting behind this desk; I am a selectperson,” Maselli replied as MacDonald peppered her with questions. Their exchange grew increasingly heated as the meeting came to a close. 

“Good thing no one in town likes you or listens to anything you say,” Maselli eventually said. 

“Go eat some ice cream,” MacDonald replied, seemingly referencing her family’s ice cream shop. 

“Yeah? Why don’t you go f— yourself,” Maselli retorted. 

As she left the room, she asked for someone to call the police “so this guy doesn’t attack any of us,” adding, “If he’s going to be here, I am not. I am done with this s— and him.”

The meeting adjourned moments later.

In his statement to Boston 25 News, Hull explained that the now-viral clip doesn’t capture MacDonald’s frequent public comments and the Select Board’s growing frustration. 

“In many cases [he] seems to like to incite negative responses. Quite often, the commentary he offers is simply not accurate, as was the case [this time],” Hull told the news outlet. “We don’t discourage people from making comment — that’s part of why we are here. I think what’s problematic and challenging is when individuals are making false statements and just trying to encourage confrontation.”

Watch the heated exchange below, via Wilmington Community Television: