A man faced the risk of being arrested following a dispute with a council member regarding his daughter’s fundraising event that only allowed cisgender women to attend. The event excluded transgender women from participating.
The situation escalated when two police officers visited the residence of Dave and Viv Boardman, aged 67, in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. The reason for their visit was an allegation of harassment made against the Boardmans.
The conflict arose when Rebecca Boden, who was their local Labour councillor at the time, accused Mr. Boardman of harassment. He had been contacting her via email multiple times concerning his daughter Cathy’s fundraising event held at a theatre run by volunteers.
It was a ‘women-only’ event arranged for Cathy to raise money for the legal costs of an employment tribunal she was bringing against a music college.
She claimed she had been unfairly dismissed after students complained that she was transphobic for asking them to debate whether drag acts were sexist.
The fundraising event was temporarily cancelled after complaints that it was not ‘trans-inclusive’ because invitations were only extended to women who are biologically female.
Mr Boardman then sent several emails to Cllr Boden because he believed she was encouraging a campaign to get it cancelled.
Cllr Boden said she didn’t know the fundraiser was for his daughter and said that it was a breach of equality laws for an event to be held at a publicly funded venue that excluded trans people.
Two police officers turned up to the home of Dave and Viv Boardman, both 67, (pictured) in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, saying they had been accused of harassment
Rebecca Boden (pictured), their then Labour councillor, reported them after Mr Boardman emailed her over his daughter Cathy’s fundraiser
She accused him of having an aggressive tone and said that emails he had sent to her were defamatory, libellous and could be harassment.
Mr Boardman said his emails weren’t aggressive and that it was ‘completely reasonable’ to question a Cllr about why they would be against a women-only event.
The police officers – who were wearing bodycams – showed up at his house and questioned the couple for 20 minutes at 7.30pm on February 5, 2023.
One was heard telling the Boardmans: ‘We don’t intend to get into the argument and why you’re to-ing and fro-ing between the two of you. The reason why we’ve come to speak to you is to say please don’t contact her again. She has been told the same, not to contact you about this issue.’
The officer advised that Mr Boardman should contact his other two councillors if he needed to address any concerns, for his ‘own protection’.
Mr Boardman was told that if he kept emailing Cllr Boden ‘we could be inviting you down to the police station’ to which he said he was ‘absolutely disgusted’.
He told The Times: ‘The whole thing is ridiculous, but sadly it’s a sign of the times of what’s happening to our democracy. It’s scary that they could even contemplate coming to tell someone not to contact your elected official.’
Cllr Boden told MailOnline she is instructing solicitors to issue proceedings against Mr Boardman for harassment and stalking.
Mr Boardman said his emails weren’t aggressive and that it was ‘completely reasonable’ to question a Cllr about why they would be against a women-only event
The officer advised that Mr Boardman should contact his other two councillors if he needed to address any concerns, for his ‘own protection’
Cllr Boden is now an independent councillor and is no longer part of the Labour Party
She said: ‘In January 2023 Dave Boardman sent me a series of angry and aggressive emails, which I advised him were factually inaccurate and that I found harassing. I requested he desist from writing to me. He persisted.
‘He wrote to me on my council email; he has been repeatedly advised that the lead legal officer for Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (responsible for my regulation as a councillor) has determined that I was acting in a private capacity in this matter, not as a councillor.
‘The legal officer also determined that it was entirely appropriate for me to reply to Dave Boardman on my council email as this meant I did not have to give this individual my private email address, which would have been a gross intrusion into my privacy.
‘The legal officer also determined that I was perfectly within my rights to block Dave Boardman from that email account (which I did) in view of the contents and tone of the emails. Dave Boardman was advised that he had two other ward councillors who he could contact with any council issues.
‘Since then, Dave Boardman has been conducting a campaign of letter-writing and social media posts about me. My solicitor sent him a cease and desist letter in 2023. He has been advised that I will now be commencing legal proceedings against him for harassment and stalking. I will be seeking a restraining order, costs and exemplary damages.
‘Throughout, I have found Dave Boardman to be irrational, terrifying and obsessive.’
Cathy Boardman was a lecturer in cultural studies and had asked her class to reflect on ‘womanface’ – a critical term for female impersonation – and whether or not it was demeaning
Cllr Boden is now an independent councillor and is no longer part of the Labour Party.
West Yorkshire Police said: ‘Police received a report of a harassment from a complainant in Hebden Bridge in February 2023.
‘An offence was recorded as per recording practices, but following investigation it was found the information supplied did not support a crime having being committed and the matter was finalised. The complainant was made aware of the outcome of the investigation in 2023.
‘The footage has been fully reviewed and it is deemed our officers acted and advised appropriately to prevent any further issues or any crimes occurring.’
