Mayor Appoints and Council Confirms Founder of Hate-Filled Website

Framingham, MA - Last night, I voted No to Hate, No to Racism, No to Homophobia, No to Bullying in Framingham. Please join me by letting your voice be heard on this. Write to citycouncil@framinghamma.gov and mayor@framinghamma.gov.

On the evening of May 2, 2023 in a split vote of 6 to 5, the Framingham City Council confirmed Mayor Sisitsky’s appointment of Justin Kapust, District 8 resident and founder of the hate-filled online platform known as Framingham Unfiltered (funfiltered.com), as an alternate member of the Agricultural Advisory Board.

Given the applicant’s notoriety, the nomination was unsurprisingly controversial, and discussed at great length at both the Appointments Subcommittee Meeting and then again at the full City Council meeting. Along with other Councilors, I stated my strong opposition to the nomination of the person responsible for creating the platform that is used to anonymously launch personal and sustained attacks against elected officials, city employees, volunteers serving on other city boards and, worst of all, against private citizens. The attacks against private citizens has been effective in discouraging people from doing what Mr. Kapust himself is now doing, volunteering to serve on a Framingham board or committee.

Because of the anonymity that Mr. Kapust’s platform affords its contributors, whose identities are closely guarded by Mr. Kapust and others with the help of anonymous online hosting, a paid service that hides the ownership of the website, the extent of Mr. Kapust’s involvement is unverifiable. While Mr. Kapust claims he has “stepped away” from the website, he does not deny that he knows the contributors and that he has some level of influence over “them”. Mr. Kapust issued a blanket apology to Councilors during the meeting, but he fails to commit to do anything that might begin to repair the damage his online platform has caused in Framingham.

The attacks and bullying have often times been, racist, anti-immigrant, and homophobic. The attacks go well beyond expressing a difference of opinion. The councilors that supported the confirmation of the Mayor’s appointee, mentioned “Freedom of Speech”, a belief in “Second Chances”, and not wanting to blame one person for the universal phenomenon of online bullying in social media. These arguments are a transparent attempt to put a spin on what is actually happening here, which can be summed up in one word, Hate. I remind the 6 Councilors who confirmed the Mayor’s appointment that Hate Has No Home in Framingham.

(Vote in favor: Ottaviani, Leombruno, King, Cannon, Alexander, Stefanini; Vote against: Long, Steiner, Bryant, Mallach and Stewart-Morales)

Cesar Stewart-Morales (he/him)

Framingham City Councilor, District 2

(508) 250-0503