In October of 2023, during my campaign for election to the Melrose City Council, serious and false allegations were made about my conduct during a high school trip over 36 years ago. The following true and accurate statement outlines information that was gathered over the past several months, showing that the accusations made by Anne Marie Hauben about my conduct are false. 

• The Bermuda Senior Trip Occurring in April 1990: Witnesses on that trip have stated that the night after my consensual interaction with Ms. Hauben, she expressed to several people an interest in having an ongoing romantic relationship with me. Two of her roommates on the trip approached me and said that Ms. Hauben hoped to have an exclusive dating relationship. At that time, I indicated that I was not interested in an ongoing relationship. Following that, her roommates said that when Ms. Hauben learned about my response she became upset, got highly intoxicated and then disappeared for several hours. Witnesses reported that Ms. Hauben was later found alone in a strange hotel room where she had become physically ill from alcohol.

• June 1990 (Laconia, New Hampshire): Witnesses have stated that, on a subsequent trip with friends, Ms. Hauben expressed regret that she had a romantic encounter with me without the promise of a future exclusive relationship. She made it clear to all who were present that she regretted having consensual relations. At no time during this conversation did she indicate the relations were not consensual.

• July 1993 (Boston, Massachusetts): I encountered Ms. Hauben at Dad’s Diner in Brighton. She stated she was still upset that in Bermuda, after we had relations, that I had rejected her desire to have an ongoing relationship. I responded by telling her I was sorry that she felt hurt, but that I had fond memories of her. This conversation occurred in front of an individual from Melrose.

• Three Years Ago (Melrose City Council Campaign): During the campaign, Ms. Hauben approached me privately through a common friend. She said that she was going to start therapy and threatened to publicly embarrass me if I did not withdraw from the race. I offered to meet with her therapist privately and, when they decided she was ready, to discuss the past with her in a meeting facilitated by the therapist. My intention was to help her finally address the pain she apparently still felt from my rejection of her desire to have an exclusive relationship in 1990. 

• October 2023: After I refused to withdraw from the campaign, at Ms. Hauben’s request an anonymous post was published on Facebook by a third party. The post claimed an encounter occurred in Bermuda but noted that Ms. Hauben did not recall the specific details of what happened when we were alone. 

In Massachusetts, when a public official prosecutes a claim for defamation, they must prove the defendant had “actual malice.” This makes it very difficult for public officials to prove their case. The fact that I have not initiated litigation against Ms. Hauben should not be interpreted as an admission, nor does it indicate that her allegations have any merit. It is telling that not a single witness—including her own close female friends and roommates on the trip—have ever come forward and corroborated her account. In the meantime, she has repeatedly defamed me, and harassed my family and friends, without consequence. 

Through communications with her legal counsel, Ms. Hauben was offered the opportunity to retract her false statements, but she refused to do so. I publish these facts now to set the record straight through objective information. It has been an honor to serve the community in a variety of capacities, including on the Melrose City Council and the Northeast Metro Tech School Committee, and I plan to do so for the foreseeable future.

Ward Hamilton

An open invitation

I know there are people who have heard Anne’s account and sincerely believe her. I don’t fault anyone for taking an allegation of sexual assault seriously. It should be taken seriously. But some people have formed an opinion without ever hearing directly from me or considering that there could be another account of what happened.

Others who had previously professed an unwillingness to even hear my side have contacted me and, after listening, have decided to take a big step back and reassess. I welcome the same opportunity with anyone reading this. The most tragic mistake any cause can make is to blindly believe someone who later turns out to be lying. Such dishonesty completely undermines the entire movement — and it has happened before. That is precisely why I ask only to be heard.

If you genuinely want to hear my side or ask difficult questions, I’m willing to talk to you and have that conversation, regardless of what you currently believe. You don’t have to agree with me or change your mind, and I’m not asking anyone to abandon their commitment to support survivors. I’m simply asking you to keep an open mind and recognize that there is more to this story than you have heard.

Don’t take my word for it. Ask questions. Listen. Reach your own conclusion. If you want to have that conversation, my door is open. Contact me at: responsetoannehauben@gmail.com