Warner town administrator granted restraining order against selectman

The Warner Economic Development Committee unveiled a mural across from the town hall on Oct. 10, 2021. Ben Domaingue
Published: 07-09-2025 3:20 PM
Modified: 07-09-2025 4:36 PM |
Warner town administrator Kathleen Frenette has obtained a temporary restraining order against Select Board member Alfred Hanson, whom she accused of assaulting her at Town Hall in June.
Judge Ryan Guptill of the Concord District Court ordered on Monday that Hanson must remain at least 300 feet away from Frenette, according to court documents obtained by the Monitor.
In her written complaint, Frenette described a tense confrontation with Hanson, who objected to the installation of the cameras.
“He took hold of my right wrist and bent over to put his face close to mine,” Frenette wrote. “At that time, I smelled alcohol off his breath.”
Frenette says the incident occurred on June 16 while she was overseeing the installation of security cameras in her office and two other areas of town hall —precautions she says were necessary due to a dispute with another official, Judy Newman-Rogers, the Select Board’s Administrative Assistant.
Newman-Rogers had previously filed a claim against Frenette, alleging a “hostile work environment, harassment, retaliation, and age discrimination,” according to Frenette’s petition. But, Frenette noted that an independent investigator found no evidence to substantiate those claims.
Hanson, a longtime Warner resident, was elected to the select board earlier this year. He has also served 13 years on the town’s budget committee.
Frenette and Newman-Rogers both declined interview requests from the Monitor.
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Hanson told Frenette that she could not install cameras in the town hall and kept getting closer to her, the complaint states.
“I kept stepping back, trying to get my personal space back, but he kept advancing until my back was against the wall,” wrote Frenette. “I started crying and couldn't stop. I finally said, ‘I have to get out of here. I can't take it anymore.”
The incident occurred between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m. at the Warner Town Hall and, according to Frenette, was witnessed by Elizabeth Labbe, the town’s building clerk.
Labbe and Hanson could not be reached for comment.
Hanson is a member of the three-person select board. The temporary restraining order prohibits him from coming within 300 feet of Frenette or the town hall, except when attending select board meetings or other meetings where his attendance is legally required.
He is also barred from communicating with, approaching, or following Frenette in any way, which complicates matters since the town administrator typically attends select board meetings and serves as a liaison between the board and town departments.
A court hearing to decide on final orders is scheduled for Aug 5 at 8:15 a.m. at the Concord District Court.
Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com