Northfield Police Chief John Helfant, whose policing background and anti-transgender comments have drawn frequent condemnation, plans to retire in May, according to town officials.
Helfant’s resignation became public in a press release posted to Northfield’s website on Wednesday, one day after the town’s selectboard penned a statement acknowledging critical news coverage of the chief’s behavior and separating the town from his opinions.
Reached for comment Thursday, Helfant offered little in the form of explanation.
“You guys are fake news and print half stories,” he said, “so I have no interest in talking to you.”
Then he hung up.
Randolph became embroiled in controversy last year after a story published by television outlet WCAX featured a student volleyball player objecting to a transgender teammate’s use of a school locker room. That story spurred hate speech toward the trans girl and her family, and a forum to discuss the situation was canceled after threats were lobbed at the school district.
Helfant, who lives in East Roxbury and is the parent of students in the Randolph district, injected himself into the controversy, writing a public letter to school officials in which he said transgender students and school staff could be charged with voyeurism if transgender students were allowed to use the bathrooms of their choice.
Vermont’s Agency of Education requires that “a transgender or gender nonconforming student must not be forced to use a separate space or use a space inconsistent with their asserted gender identity.”
On Tuesday, Northfield’s selectboard issued a statement distancing the town from the public comments of its police chief after news stories highlighting his actions.
“The Town recognizes that absent other compelling circumstances, the First Amendment allows Town employees to speak as private citizens on matters of public concern,” the board wrote. “However, the views and opinions expressed by Town employees in this regard are their own and are not the views and opinions of the Town.”
Board members wrote that news stories referencing Helfant’s public comments on school locker room policy and a Black Lives Matter flag undermined the public’s trust in him as a town employee, which they said is of “utmost importance” in creating a safe and inclusive community.
In Wednesday’s press release, Northfield town manager Jeff Schulz acknowledged that Helfant had given notice of his pending departure, effective in May. The statement did not indicate when Helfant had tendered his resignation.
“We appreciate the chief and our entire police force for the work they do to protect our community,” Schulz wrote.
On Facebook, Helfant offered some background for his decision to step away from the force, denying that it had anything to do with the selectboard.
“No one pushed me out, I didnt even know that the Selectboard issued a statement on Tuesday,” he wrote in a comment in the “Northfield, Vermont” Facebook group on Thursday morning.
“I could stay, but a bum shoulder that has me on light duty for the forseeable future and 33yrs in VT Law Enforcement, just makes me want to do something different. It would be nice to be my own boss and take a break from supervising and managing others.”
Last month, a group of progressive organizations and other individuals called for Helfant’s removal, arguing he was unfit to serve because of “hostile” behavior to marginalized communities.
“Whether or not Chief Helfant takes further hostile action against the LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and educator communities, we do not have confidence in his ability to do his job free from discrimination and legal prevarication,” they wrote in the letter.
Mia Schultz, education justice organizer for Rights & Democracy, was among the signatories. In an interview Thursday, Schultz called Helfant’s retirement a “win.”
“His actions have consequences whether or not he’s wearing a uniform,” she said, adding that it was important he would no longer have the “structural power” that comes with being police chief. She credited fellow organizers with spearheading the effort to bring attention to Helfant’s actions.
Whether on-duty or off-duty, Helfant’s behavior has drawn condemnation for years.
Following his initial public comments directed toward the Orange Southwest School District, Helfant furthered his spat with the district’s superintendent, Layne Millington.
Millington temporarily barred Helfant from his volunteer coaching position with the Randolph Union High School girls soccer team, because the district did not have a record of Helfant’s background check.
“I will take this as retaliation for my comments against the OSSD and will be informing my attorney,” Helfant told Millington at the time.
Helfant continued to publicly voice his disapproval with the school district’s policies related to transgender students’ rights on Front Porch Forum. Those comments sparked rebukes from LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocacy organizations in the state.
On the job, Helfant’s conduct has been questioned by former Washington County State’s Attorney Rory Thibault. Thibault penned two Brady letters — a letter used by prosecutors to question a law enforcement officer’s credibility — about Helfant.
Thibault’s first letter in 2019 alerted defense lawyers to issues involving Helfant during his time in the Berlin Police Department, after questions arose from a drug case and whether proper consent had been obtained to conduct a search. The prosecutor eventually tossed that drug case because he couldn’t square information in Helfant’s affidavit with what the body cam video revealed.
The next year, Thibault wrote a second Brady letter about Helfant, arguing the chief had shown potentially biased treatment against Black and Latino people.
Helfant will continue to serve as police chief until May 6. According to Schulz, the town manager, the search for a new chief will begin “shortly.”
Clarification: Mia Schultz was acting in her Rights & Democracy role in signing a letter urging Helfant’s removal.