The “threats” reported by Franklin Alderman Gabrielle Hanson have been deemed “unfounded” by the Franklin Police Department, and no charges will be filed as no crime has been committed.
Hanson spoke publicly about the “threats” in several Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen meetings in which she said she was targeted due to her position on the 2023 Franklin Pride Festival.
Hanson voted against the festival which was approved, and fellow Alderman Beverly Burger also publicly said that she received threatening phone calls, but Burger did not file a police report.
Following a public records request, The News reviewed the March 22 report Hanson filed with FPD, where she reported receiving a phone call on March 16 from a “restricted” number where an unidentified male said, “Gabrielle, you will be immortalized in death.”
On March 18, Hanson, who is a realtor, received an email from a resident and fellow realtor, who was named in the report but who we are not identifiying. That resident expressed her disagreement with Hanson’s position on Franklin Pride.
Hanson told that resident that she “has met with many people in the gay community and has been made aware many of them do not support the Pride Festival, which influenced her decision to vote ‘no.”
Hanson said that after she sent that email she “noticed a significant increase in the number of emails and phone calls she received.”
On March 20, Hanson received a voicemail from an unidentified “angry female” who called Hanson a “lying bitch.”
The following day, on March 21, a Brentwood woman only identified as “Brooke” left Hanson a voicemail that said “now you’re claiming that gay people want you to take away pride."
Hanson told police that "Brooke" also left a voicemail which said, "You’re pathetic and you’re filled with hate. And we will make sure everyone remembers your name."
The report details that Hanson told the responding officer that she believed that the increase in what she deemed to be threatening communications were related to the resident who she communicated with on March 18, adding that she believed the resident was “somehow working with a larger group.”
The News reached out to that resident who denied that she was “working with a larger group” and said that she was only voicing her opinion to her elected representative.
Hanson also expressed that she feared that the vote on the Franklin Pride Festival, which ultimately passed, would be “disrupted by this group as well.” The vote on Franklin Pride did not see any notable disruptions to the April 11 BOMA meeting.
FPD did mark Hanson’s home, where she also operates her realty business, for an extra police patrol, but following a review with the district attorney’s office, the case is “inactive pending the discovery of additional leads or evidence pointing to a crime being committed.”
So while Hanson reported feeling threatened by the messages, law enforcement said that “the details of this case do not meet any elements of any criminal statute.”
Ethics complaints and calls for Hanson’s removal from BOMA
Hanson has been surrounded by controversy since the Franklin Pride vote, after which she appeared on a Williamson County-based podcast to discuss the issue as well as her opinions and theories about the March 27 Covenant School shooting, theories which have been called “false” by the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Hanson then appeared on SuperTalk 99.7 where host Matt Murphy criticized Hanson, called her a “liar” and called for her removal from BOMA.
Hanson is now facing at least 59 formal ethics complaints, many of which are demanding her resignation or removal from BOMA, and now the city’s Ethics Commission is set to review the complaints on May 17, with a public hearing on the matter expected to take place on June 15.
During the May 9 BOMA meeting, Hanson faced another call for resignation or removal from the board, this time directly from a parent of a Covenant School student.
A Franklin man who identified himself as Jason Rowlett spoke during the public comments section of the meeting and said that Hanson “publicly slandered the victims of the March 27 massacre at our school. She has caused further pain and anguish to the surviving staff and families. I can personally tell this board that every detail that she talked about publicly was false.”
“By saying there was no greater threat to anyone else in the school, Alderman Hanson minimized the terror and danger our children and teachers faced on that awful day,” Rowlett said. “Every single person was hunted by the shooter.”
“I think it’s an abomination that an elected official had the audacity to spread unfounded gossip and conspiracy theories about such an unspeakable tragedy suffered by many of her fellow citizens,” Rowlett continued. “The only reason I can think as to why she did this was to further her political career. The citizens of Franklin deserve better.”
Following Rowlett’s comments, Hanson sat in silence while Mayor Moore called for a moment of silence in remembrance of the shooting victims.
Rowlett's comments can be viewed in full below.
Hanson’s attack on the press
Following the April 25 BOMA meeting, The News attempted to get a comment from Hanson inside of the BOMA chambers about MNPD calling her theory about the school shooting “false,” but she ignored the question.
When The News attempted a second time to get a comment from Hanson, this time in the City Hall parking lot away from other BOMA members, Hanson replied with “I will have you arrested.”
When asked what would be the cause of an arrest, Hanson said, “Harassment.”
Hanson made the comments while walking on public property to her vehicle with her husband, away from any Franklin Police Department officers who worked security at the meeting. She did not file a police report or any verbal complaint to any police officer.
Her threat to weaponize law enforcement against a free press was met with outrage online, although city and police officials declined to publicly respond to Hanson’s specific threat of arrest. Despite Hanson’s wishes, this reporter was never in danger of actually being arrested.
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