MANCHESTER, NH – Frank Hobbs Jr. was found guilty of violating the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act when he removed a “Goffstown Pride” sign from the Route 114 and 114A intersection and disposed of it.
Attorney General John M. Formella, in a news release Wednesday, said Hillsborough County Superior Court – Northern District Judge Amy Messer ruled Hobbs’ conduct was motivated by the victim’s support for members of the LGBTQ+ community and interfered with her right to engage in lawful expressive activity. The court found Hobbs’ conduct constituted damage to property motivated by bias in violation of the Civil Rights Act.
“This case reinforces a core principle of our system: all Granite Staters have the right to express their views free from unlawful interference,” said Formella. “New Hampshire’s Civil Rights Act protects everyone equally, regardless of who they are or what they believe, and my office will continue to enforce it fairly and firmly.”
According to the civil complaint on file in Superior Court, Hobbs, 56, when interviewed by Goffstown police Sgt. Kevin Laroche, initially denied any knowledge of the theft.
However, when the officer told him there were photos of him allegedly stealing the sign, Hobbs asked whether the law prohibits or permits picking up “roadside trash.”
Laroche questioned whether that was Hobbs’ intention since he left other signs untouched that had been at that location for a while, and removed only the “Goffstown Pride” sign. Hobbs, according to court filings, began arguing with Laroche about whether he could be charged with theft for picking up roadside trash.
After the argument, Hobbs then claimed he had previously been told by unidentified people at Town Hall that he could remove signs that displayed “Pedophile Symbols.” He told the officer he found the “Goffstown Pride” sign offensive like the “pedophile” sign and removed it.
P.B., who filed the complaint with Goffstown Police, told Manchester Ink Link at the time the complaint was made public that, “What Frank Hobbs did was wrong. I support the Attorney General in their filing of a civil rights violation against him. It is an important step toward accountability. It’s about standing up for what’s right and making it clear that civil rights violations won’t be ignored. Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected.”
P.B. asked her name not be disclosed.
On June 5, 2024, she met with Laroche at the police department to complain that several Pride signs she placed at the intersection had been stolen while others were left undisturbed.
She said she put up the first sign two weeks earlier and it went missing a few days later. She also learned a friend had put up a sign that read “Protect Feminism” at the same intersection and that, too, was missing.
After learning of the other theft, P.B. purchased two trail cams. On June 4, 2023, P.B. put up another “Goffstown Pride” sign at the intersection, along with two trail cams to monitor the area. The next day, P.B. drove by the intersection and her sign was gone. P.B. checked the trail cam photos and saw that at 6:12 a.m. on June 5, 2024, a man, who she recognized to be Hobbs , removed the sign at the intersection. Laroche recognized him as well.
A hearing to determine the appropriate relief is scheduled for Dec. 1, 2025. The Attorney General’s Office has requested a civil penalty and a restraining order prohibiting further violations of the Civil Rights Act.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Sean Locke, Director of the Civil Rights Unit, prosecuted the case.
The New Hampshire Civil Rights Act prohibits the use or threat of physical force, property damage, or trespass when motivated by a person’s actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics. Anyone who experiences or witnesses such conduct may contact the Civil Rights Unit of the New Hampshire Department of Justice at (603) 271-3650 or civilrights@doj.nh.gov.