Days after Harrisville Councilwoman Mary Ann Hughes was removed from a borough meeting in handcuffs, the borough solicitor has issued a statement indicating the council “stands by” the decision to eject her from the meeting.

Harrisville’s solicitor, Sean Gallagher, issued a statement Friday, April 17, stating Hughes was removed from the Monday meeting because the borough believes her actions were in violation of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act.

“The councilperson was reading out during public comment her complaint, previously submitted to council, regarding an employee,” Gallagher said. “As a duly elected officer of the borough, her actions were in violation of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act and other federal and state employment laws.”

Hughes was asked to end her comments at a Monday meeting after she began to read aloud a Jan. 8 letter to council where she details an interaction with a Harrisville employee that left her fearing for her safety.

Hughes has told the Butler Eagle she believes the letter she was reading is the one referenced by Harrisville Borough Council President April Anschutz in a recent article that detailed how Hughes’ seat was nearly erroneously filled earlier this year.

Anschutz had said Hughes previously stated “via email, social media and a handwritten letter that (Hughes) was no longer serving on council, as they are now just a resident.”

Hughes, upon realizing the council seat to be filled was rightfully hers, chose to accept the seat. She held up her certificate from the county Bureau of Elections on Monday and attempted to explain her take on the letter.

“I will read the letter I handed in and I will omit names,” Hughes said before reading the letter on Monday evening, but Anschutz told Hughes to stop.

She “cannot talk about personnel issues” during the meeting, Anschutz said.

“If you do not stop, you will be asked to leave. I’m telling you now,” Anschutz said at the Monday meeting.

Hughes continued to speak, so Anschutz called on Lt. Jordan Waclav, with the borough’s police department, to remove her from the meeting. Waclav told Hughes to leave, but she refused and returned to her seat. She was ultimately placed in handcuffs and removed from the meeting.

Gallagher said, Hughes was asked to end her comment but refused to do so.

“After being advised that her public comment time had expired, the councilperson was again asked to end her comments, just as any other resident would,” Gallagher said. “She willfully declined to do so and council president had the councilperson removed from the meeting.”

A representative of the Butler Eagle at the meeting saw Hughes ask to speak further after time to speak as a resident ran out. She said she should get another 30 seconds to speak because of the number of interruptions she experienced. Anschutz told her “no.”

“Harrisville Borough strongly believes in the First Amendment right to free speech and strongly support Pennsylvania law requirements and responsibilities for public comment,” Gallagher said. “However, those responsibilities also include conducting borough meetings in an orderly fashion to be able to govern.”

Additionally, he said the borough must avoid violations of the Sunshine Act, protect employees and confidential matters as required by law.

Ahead of the Monday meeting, the Butler Eagle acquired a copy of the Jan. 8 letter that Hughes read aloud.

In the letter, she said the employee made an inappropriate gesture when driving past her, which left her feeling as if she had been harassed. She said she reported it to borough clerk Doug Cook and did not file a police report.

“I am now a citizen of Harrisville, along with being a senior citizen and a widow living alone. With today’s actions, I fear for my safety. I want something changed about this and action taken,” she wrote.

After signing the letter, she wrote at the bottom, “please don’t take this lightly.”

Hughes has told the Butler Eagle she was unaware she had won a seat on Harrisville Council at the time of the letter. Without that proof of victory, she said she stopped monitoring her borough email and did not see any meeting notices.

In January, she saw a special meeting notice on the borough office’s door to fill a seat and began to question whether she won. After reaching out to the county, she received confirmation that she had. In the process, she learned of an election certificate switch-up with Harmony.

Hughes ultimately was able to acquire her certificate and get sworn in before her seat could be filled.

Hughes has said the letter did not indicate she was resigning and felt that it was a deliberate effort to oust her by borough officials.

“I really feel like they wanted me out of my council seat,” she said.

In the Friday statement from Gallagher, Hughes’ claim is addressed.

“If this is true, then it speaks volumes about the councilperson’s ability to represent the residents and taxpayers of Harrisville borough. The borough stands by the conduct of its employees and officers during the election season,” Gallagher said.

The statement advised residents and taxpayers with further questions and concerns to speak at the next borough meeting at 7 p.m. May 11.

“Government cannot and should not function without its constituents being aware of what is going on within the community and the more residents and taxpayers that attend meetings, the better government can respond effectively,” Gallagher said.

The Butler Eagle has an outstanding right-to-know request filed seeking a copy of the letter referenced by Anschutz. It was not immediately clear if that is the same letter that Hughes began to read aloud Monday.