Westbrook activist George Rodrigues has filed for a protection from harassment order against Westbrook School Committee member Tim Crellin.
The filing follows two public events where Rodrigues and Crellin clashed, and Crellin asked Rodrigues to leave.
The first confrontation took place at a Feb. 25 spaghetti dinner at the parish hall of St. Hyacinth’s. The dinner was organized by state Reps. Tim Driscoll and Bob Duplessie to raise money to help heat the homes of less fortunate residents in Westbrook.
In that instance, Rodrigues opposed two representatives with pro-abortion voting records sponsoring a dinner at the church. He entered the church with signs showing, among other images, aborted fetuses, and passed out flyers stating the church shouldn’t have allowed the two representatives to host their dinner there. Crellin asked him to leave, and the police were called to keep Rodrigues off church grounds.
The second incident took place at a March 7 public hearing held by the school department to allow residents a chance to speak on the topic of changes to the sex education curriculum. At the meeting, Rodrigues spoke at length against teaching children at the junior high school about contraception.
When Rodrigues questioned the beliefs of one of the school department’s teachers, Assistant Superintendent Jan Breton stopped him. Crellin asked him to leave and called the police.
Of the two incidents, Rodrigues said the “first one was more violent in tone, much more aggressive.” He said he felt he was being physically threatened.
“I’m seeking this to prevent Mr. Crellin from on his own deciding what I can and can’t say,” he said.
Crellin said he believed Rodrigues was seeking publicity, through his protest at the church, his speech at the public hearing and now by filing for this protection from harassment order. “It’s how much you throw on the wall and how much sticks,” he said.
Crellin said Rodrigues’ “behavior is so egregious it’s hard to understand.” He said Rodrigues’ actions will cost a lot of time and money.
A district court judge will decide if the protection from harassment order is justified on April 14 in Portland when the two men will appear in district court at 8:30 a.m.
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