Coventry Town Council President Hillary Lima resigns, cites ‘environment of hostility’

COVENTRY, R.I. (WLNE) — Coventry Town Council President Hillary Lima has announced her resignation from the council, effective immediately, in a letter sent to Coventry Town Clerk Joanne Amitrano.

Lima cites, among other factors, “an environment of hostility” during her tenure in the council.

Lima described this setting in her letter, in part:

It has included threats with obscene sexual violence, threats to my family with the goal of forcing them to move, my husband receiving direct threats at his job to his safety because of my position, threats to kill the entire council, and daily attacks through social media and other platforms targeting my gender, my weight, my looks and my intelligence.

Lima goes on in the letter to say that the situation has taken a toll on her health, career and family.

Along with resigning from the Coventry Town Council, Lima also tendered her resignation from her roles in as President of the Council, Chair of the School Building Committee, Chair of the Municipal Fire Commission, member of the Sewer Sub Committee and Vice President of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns Board of Directors.

The Coventry Town Council was set to vote on removing Lima from the president role Thursday night.

The council was also scheduled to discuss the possible termination of Town Solicitor Stephen Angell, who also announced his own resignation ahead of the meeting.

Lima addressed the other members of the council in her letter:

To my remaining council colleagues, I urge you to consider the clear trajectory of these events. If you believe this mob will not eventually come for one of you, or that the “noise” ends with my departure, I sincerely hope you are right.

This is a developing story. Stay with ABC6 for further updates.