Planning Board member Walter Gunn in a 2023 video while campaigning for the board.
Photo credit: Longmeadow TV
LONGMEADOW — The Select Board unanimously signed onto a May 19 letter by Chair Vineeth Hemavathi that called for the resignation of Planning Board member Walter Gunn. The letter was a response to an incident on the night of Jan. 7, in which Gunn trespassed on private property. When confronted by homeowner Fabricio Ochoa, Gunn asked him if he “even [spoke] English” and if he was “housekeeping” at the address.
Ochoa and his wife Jill Ochoa filed a complaint on March 16, and the incident became known to the public at a May 9 Special Planning Board meeting. There, Gunn confirmed the account of the incident and his actions that day. A formal apology that was approved by all five members of the Planning Board, including Gunn, stated, “The Longmeadow Planning Board denounces the actions of Mr. Gunn and vehemently states that his actions and statements do not reflect the sentiment of the members of the board.” Gunn was censured by the Planning Board.
However, the Planning Board’s apology did not go far enough for the Select Board.
“No resident of Longmeadow, or anywhere, should be subjected to the treatment that the Ochoas experienced on [Jan.] 7, 2025, especially from an elected official,” the letter read. “The town of Longmeadow Select Board is taking this measure to clearly communicate to the people of Longmeadow, and to the Ochoa family, that we believe in the dignity of every resident, and will stand up for this value.”
Hemavathi said the call for Gunn’s resignation was “an unusual step for the Select Board to take,” but noted it was also unusual for an official not to resign after such an incident. He said that he had been contacted by several residents and that people “look to the Select Board to signal where the town stands.”
Select Board member Dan Zwirko said he had spoken to Ochoa, whom he noted was a veteran and police officer. He expressed to the resident that Gunn’s comments, which were described in the letter as “racist and bigoted,” do not reflect the feelings of all town officials.
“This is not the Longmeadow I grew up in,” Zwirko said. “It’s on all of us to do better.” Directing his words to Gunn, who did not attend the meeting in person, he said, “You need to resign immediately.”
The Longmeadow Antiracist Coalition also called for Gunn’s resignation. Chair Chili Salazar spoke at the Select Board meeting. She said the coalition stood in “unwavering solidarity” with the Ochoas and that Gunn’s actions were “offensive” and “a violation of the public trust.”
Further, she said Gunn’s “vague expression of regret” was not adequate. The coalition also called for a public apology beyond the statements at the May 9 Planning Board meeting and antiracism training for elected officials.
Select Board member Josh Levine supported the idea of requiring training. He said the Ochoas had “a pretty terrible experience” that was “prolonged by a lack of consequences.” Fellow Select Board member Mark Gold pointed out that if Gunn does not resign, neither the town nor the voters have any recourse. A Home Rule Charter amendment adopting a recall mechanism was approved by Town Meeting in 2019 and sent to the state for approval. Gold said it “died on the vine.”
