Franklin Alderman and mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson stood by welcoming white supremacists into Franklin's city hall as her fellow Board of Mayor and Aldermen rebuked her actions during Tuesday night's BOMA meeting.
Hanson responded to the string of criticisms from her colleagues not with an apology or by directly taking responsibility for the incident, which saw racial extremists patrol city hall and attempt to intimidate both the public and the press, both of which they later threatened with violence, but instead Hanson blamed the city and Franklin community, saying, "you reap what you sow."
"You've planted seeds over years and years against our citizens, and they're coming to harvest," Hanson said, alleging that Franklin's government has "attacked" churches, prayer on the square, and a man who was charged with trespassing at the 2023 Franklin Pride festival.
"Those things are called spiritual repercussions and they do come back to you, and it's easy to shift all the blame," Hanson said. "I just happened to arrive when everything was starting to crumble."
Hanson said that the Franklin community "has been built on a massive PR machine" that is "so focused on the past that it's hard to deal with the present" that she said "has left many voices out to dry with a set of rules for different tiers of individuals."
As previously reported, Hanson called the white supremacists an "anti-antifa group" who "do extensive cyber security and cyber dark web searches, and showed an unnatural swell in activity from antifa in Franklin over the last 60 days," something she reiterated during the meeting with no proof for her claims.
"I don't denounce any of my clients," Hanson said, referring to self-described Nazi Brad Lewis — who sports a Proud Boys face tattoo and owns Lewis Country Store in Davidson County, a combination convenience store and white nationalist training center, which is being sold with Hanson listed as the realtor.
"When they wanted to come, because they were concerned with what they saw on the dark web, I said, 'please do not make a scene if you're going to come,'" Hanson said, admitting for the first time that she had advance knowledge that the group planned to attend the meeting, calling the group's seeming support of Hanson "their right."
"We don't discriminate in this community against anyone," Hanson said. "Never did they lay a hand on anyone, and they were very respectful."
However, upon first entering city hall, members of the group attempted and failed to verbally intimidate this reporter.
On Monday, NewsChannel 5 reported that Hanson and her campaign may be directly involved in continued threats of violence against citizens made by white supremacists, a group which also threatened the lives of reporters.
BOMA CONDEMNS HANSON
As previously reported, all of Hanson's fellow BOMA members signed onto a letter condemning Hanson and her alignment with white supremacists, and each alderman, with the exception of Alderman Patrick Baggett who was not at the meeting, spoke on the topic.
Mayor Ken Moore did not directly address his opponent, but at the start of the meeting he did issue a public statement about the recent Hamas attack in Israel, in which he also denounced "hatred and antisemitism."
Alderman Matt Brown
"Recent events compel me to revisit the issue of censure if it were allowed, procedurally, I'd propose a censure tonight, not for the previously discussed ethical violations from which I've abstained, for her insensitivities towards families that have experienced loss either due to violence or disease, or even for her constant lies and hypocrisy, but for reasons that are far more hurtful, incendiary, and frankly dangerous to our city," Brown said, while asking for a censure vote to be added to the Nov. 14 BOMA meeting, despite the fact that if Hanson loses her mayoral bid in the Oct. 24 election, she will no longer be an elected official.
"Regardless of Alderman Hanson's status on that day, I believe addressing her actions is paramount, and I intend to vote for censure on this matter whether she she is in office or not."
Within Brown's rebuke of Hanson was his criticism of her dissemination of Nazi propaganda in a previous campaign statement about the Oct. 2 forum in which she posted a white supremacist message which read, "There is no political solution."
"This phrase isn't merely a statement — It's a dangerous rhetoric associated with extremist ideologies. It is an acceleration of the white power movement. Make no mistake, it is a call for violence," Brown continued. "Alderman Hanson may not have written that phrase, but her sharing it publicly, specifically including that screenshot, is proselytizing and advancing that call for violence."
"It is not aldermanic, it is not mayoral and it is certainly not Christian," Brown said.
"I beg of you, don't let hate root itself in our city, or we may never be able to eradicate it. Enough is enough."
Alderman Bev Burger
"Is it your mission to divide our city?" Burger asked Hanson, "Because you're doing a bang up job of it right now dividing our community."
Burger defended the integrity of the city's ethics commission and said that if Franklin wasn't in a contentious election year, the board would have already moved to censure Hanson multiple times.
Hanson recently sued the city's ethics commission, a case which she lost.
"If this was not election time, things would be looking very different," Burger said. "We're not afraid as a board to speak out to confront wrong, but we will also not be used as a tool."
"Maybe we've been too quiet, but the truth is always quiet, lies are always loud."
"When individuals fail to speak out against inappropriate behavior, they risk undermining the very values that bind our community together, and our community is strong regardless of what people hear on the national media, and regardless of a person," Burger continued.
"My board members and I will not fail to speak out. We're embarrassed for our city and our community, but we did not bring this — You did," Burger said directly to Hanson. "I don't know how, under your leadership, our city can continue to be a shining city on the hill."
Alderman Jason Potts
Potts detailed messages that he received including from a businessman who was visiting Franklin and was approached by a man downtown who said to the businessman "white power," and another story from a resident who reported that for the first time in 14 years she felt "scared" in her hometown.
"Is that the Franklin so many worked hard to build over more than the past two centuries? Is that the Franklin that so many invested in preserving over the decades? Is that the Franklin that so many residents chose to move to in recent years?"
"No, no and no," Potts said. "What's been going on here lately has to stop and it has to stop now."
"Silence and inaction is a choice with severe consequences that can forever change the character of Franklin, which is deeply rooted in love and concern for our families and neighbors," Potts continued, calling the now international media attention on Franklin and Hanson an "embarrassment."
"A house divided against itself cannot stand and this house, our beloved city of Franklin, will slowly erode away if we don't stop this nonsense now."
Alderman Brandy Blanton
"I think we're all emotionally raw," Blanton said, looking at Hanson and telling her, "Bless your heart," a comment which drew laughter from some in the audience.
"The members of the ethics commission deserve our support. They are all honorable members of our community who, at our request, have agreed to serve our city," Blanton said, while also addressing allegations made by Hanson's supporters about the forming of the commission.
"It is not and has never been a 'secret commission' appointed by the mayor."
"It's embarrassing to end up on HBO, to end up on MSNBC, and not for the good stuff," Blanton continued. "And it's all traced down to one source."
"When we are able to provide a legal censure motion, I will definitely support that, because I think we need to make a stand," Blanton said. "We fight for our citizens every day in this role — We can't stop now."
Aldermen Clyde Barnhill and Ann Petersen
Alderman Barnhill said that he is "unbelievably disappointed" in the recent events in the city and said that this is "certainly this is the most divisive, the most troubling election that we've been through."
"I appreciate your comments," Alderman Petersen told her colleagues.
#gabriellehanson after admitting to advanced knowledge that Nazis would attend a 2023 #Franklintn election forum (in support of her as “protection”). In her words — “you reap what you sow” @WilliamsonHmPg (The NEWS) pic.twitter.com/WCr0FS0abQ
— Matt Masters (@formvscontent) October 11, 2023
BOMA CANDIDATES REACT
Franklin BOMA candidate Bhavani "BK" Muvvala issued a statement to The News denouncing Hanson and saying that he's "deeply troubled" by recent events in Franklin.
"These activities are a direct assault on our values and have no place in our community," Muvvala said. "I urge our elected officials to take a strong stand against all forms of hate and discrimination. We need to send a clear message that Franklin is a welcoming and inclusive community for all."
"I also urge all Franklinites to join me in standing up against hate and discrimination. We must work together to build a more equitable and just community for all."
Fellow BOMA candidate Greg Caesar issued a statement to The News in which he denounced Hanson and encouraged citizens to vote "to stop these radical agendas brought to town by Mrs. Hanson and further propagated by her 'slate' of candidates."
"I'm disappointed by the fact that I stand as the sole non-incumbent candidate who has shared publicly that divisive and hate-filled agendas should not and cannot continue to exist in Franklin," Caesar said in part.
"I couldn't agree more with the message I heard multiple times during tonight's BOMA meeting —Franklin is a great town, attractive to many as a place to raise a family, raise a career and retire, and we are not and will never be a haven for radical hate groups."
The News reached out to the remaining BOMA candidates Jeff Feldman, Gary Moore and Patrick George for comment, but at the time of the publishing of this article, they have not replied to our request.
George did previously answer some questions about Hanson's association with white supremacists, stopping short of directly denouncing Hanson and the group.
"Having outside influences from any side of the table or any groups that are harmful in a social or cultural way is never good," George told The News on Oct. 6. "It's never been good for society, so I just think that people have to refocus on what's important. It's our city, and what decisions we make are important for what we do; nobody else from outside is going to live with the consequences of our decision-making process."
Hanson, George, Feldman and Gary Moore are all endorsed by the Williamson Families PAC (which also endorsed Barnhill, who is running unopposed), and Williamson Families Chair Robin Steenman previously told The News that she and the PAC "disavow any group supporting racial or ethnic supremacy/white nationalism/Nazism or any form of racism whatsoever," as well as disavowing violence. Williamson Families continues to endorse Hanson for mayor.
The News also reached out to Alderman Baggett with a request for comment on Hanson's statement from Monday night's BOMA meeting, but has not yet received a reply.
Several residents also spoke against and in favor of Hanson during the public comments portion of the meeting, including former Franklin Mayor John Schroer, who briefly returned to the BOMA in 2021 to fill a vacancy following the death of Alderman Pearl Bransford, a seat which Hanson now fills.
"When you decided to run for alderman, you sat in my house and told me and my wife that Pearl had basically anointed you to take her seat," Schroer said. "I didn't believe it then, and I certainly don't believe it now."
"The campaign you're running has brought disgrace to the State of Tennessee, the City of Franklin, BOMA and the chair that you are currently sitting in, but even worse, you've disgraced the name and service of my friend Pearl Bransford," Schroer continued.
"Mrs. Hanson, I knew Pearl Bransford, and you are no Pearl Bransford."
Hanson quickly left the city hall following Monday night's meeting, hiding behind her private security guard before speeding away in a car, refusing to answer any questions from the press, including answering if she herself is a white supremacist and how she could effectively represent the citizens of Franklin in her bid for mayor, a determination which voters will now make on Oct. 24.
This story will be updated with any additional comments as they are issued.
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