Breaking: Acton resident charged in ‘scarecrow’ incidents
John Grace, 56, was charged with one misdemeanor count of violating a harassment prevention order, per court documents.
UPDATED:
A judge released a Acton man on his own recognizance Tuesday after police arrested him in connection with a crop of “scarecrow” displays targeting schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter.
John Grace, 56, was charged with one misdemeanor count of violating a harassment prevention order. He appeared in handcuffs and leg irons for his arraignment in Acton District Court early Tuesday afternoon.
Makeshift “scarecrow” displays appeared around town in recent months, many featuring trash bags mounted on crosspieces and stenciled with the words “Fire Liar Hunter.”
Police added extra patrols around school properties and were, at one point, escorting Hunter to and from her offices because she feared a violent outburst, according to police records.
Grace’s attorney, George King, argued in court that the case was “improper” and called his client an activist who is “being punished for political speech.”
Asked by a Acton Bridge reporter as he left the courthouse if this means he admits to placing the scarecrows, Grace said “no,” and insisted he was “not confirming nor denying” the allegations.
Assistant District Attorney Leon Rotenstein, representing the prosecution, asked Judge Sharon Lalli to set cash bail at $5,000 and require Grace to wear a GPS monitor.
Lalli sided with the defense and released Grace pending his next court date.
Hunter received an outpouring of support from the community as the scarecrows proliferated.
She told The Bridge on Tuesday morning that she was “extremely thankful” to Police Chief Thomas Mulcahy and the department “for their support as well as their diligence in the investigation.”
Hunter declined further comment given the “legal process.”
Prior history
Grace has a history with the superintendent and the school system that goes back years.
In 2022, police charged Grace with threatening to commit a crime after he allegedly left repeated messages for the superintendent that authorities said caused her to fear violence.
In May 2024, a jury exonerated Grace of all charges.
According to a police report, Hunter got a harassment prevention order against Grace after incidents in 2022 and another incident this past April in which someone in a black pickup truck threw a book onto school property with a photocopy “of a picture showing an image of Dr. Laurie Hunter” above the words “Grace found ‘not guilty’ of threatening Superintendent Laurie Hunter.”
The order was extended in May 2025 and will remain in effect through at least May 2026.
Grace told The Bridge that police arrested him at his home on this latest charge Tuesday morning.
As his arraignment got underway, he asked the judge if he could represent himself with King, a court-appointed attorney, acting as his assistant. Grace ultimately agreed to have King represent him, at least in the initial proceedings.
Rotenstein mentioned the larger spate of scarecrows but focused specifically on one at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery near the corner of Bedford Street and Patridge Lane. That scarecrow appeared on October 18, accompanied by a sign that said, in part, “Muskets for Musk? The hatchet for Hunter!”
This was an “escalation” of issues involving Grace and Hunter, Rotenstein said.
In a police report, Det. Sgt. Keith Harrington said the scarecrows made Hunter feel targeted and she was “in a state of imminent fear.”
The October 18 display appeared near the home of Acton-Carlisle School Committee Chair Tracey Marano, who told an officer she felt the scarecrow was meant to intimidate her, according to the police narrative.
Marano didn’t immediately respond to a Bridge request for comment.
In an unsigned joint statement issued through an external district spokesperson late Tuesday afternoon, School Committee members said they “continue to stand firmly with Superintendent Hunter. We acknowledge her steady leadership during this challenging period.”
On November 11, responding to a set of signs with the same “Fire Liar Hunter” messaging, police lifted a fingerprint and traced it back to Grace, according to their report.
Looking ahead
Grace’s attorney, King, previously worked as a school principal and assistant superintendent. He told the court public officials have to expect to field a certain degree of protest, and people in Hunter’s position have a “much more limited level of expectation of being left alone.”
He said the “hatchet” phrasing wasn’t a reference to violence, but rather to wanting Hunter fired.
As King wrapped up his comments, Grace said, “There’s something else I should probably tell you,” and whispered in his counsel’s ear.
King then told the court that Grace is considering a run for School Committee.
After the arraignment, Grace met his lawyer in the hallway and gave a silent cheer, pumping his fist in the air.
While waiting for his wife to pick him up, Grace maintained that Hunter is “trying to muzzle me unlawfully,” and previewed upcoming court proceedings. “We’re excited to get closer to the exoneration of the accusations,” he said.
News of Grace’s arrest broke Tuesday morning, just as this week’s print edition of The Acton Bridge went to press early due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
This breaking story has been updated.
