Stockbridge — Earlier this week, a post went up on a social media site, 411 of The Pittsfield Streets, allegedly attributed to Josh Christman and touting an Ice Fishing Derby at the Stockbridge Bowl, a public property, on February 23, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The verbiage preceding the flyer attached to the post, and allegedly attributed to Christman, stated that immigrants and transgender individuals were not welcome to participate in the event.
In a February 19 telephone interview, Christman told The Berkshire Edge that the post “was not me saying that.” He attributed the comments to the creator of “a second account on Facebook pretending to be me” and distinguished between attributes on his real account and the fake one.
Two groups named “411 Of The Pittsfield Streets” are listed on Facebook, one with 724 members and one with 671 members. Christman is not listed as a member of the group with 671 members but is listed on the 724-member group. According to the social media site listing Christman, “Joshua Christman” joined the 724-member social media group on February 19, after the transphobic and xenophobic post was made. A “Josh Christman” is listed as posting the discriminatory comment on the site. That site lists Troy Sgent as its administrator. The Berkshire Edge reached out to Sgent for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
“I said everyone was welcome,” Christman said. “It’s not me.”
On February 19, after joining, Christman posted the following on the 724-member group:
It was brought to my attention that someone created a fake account with my name spelled ‘Josh.’ They modified my post to say some pretty horrible things. Takes a pretty sick person to go to these lengths. I’ve been in contact with the Police and Mass Wildlife. They will be looking into this further. I want to be clear, all are welcome to the fishing derby. It sucks someone would go to these lengths but all are welcome.
Stockbridge Town Administrator Michael Canales posted a statement from the municipality on the afternoon of February 19:
The Town of Stockbridge has been made aware of an online post regarding an upcoming fishing tournament scheduled for February 23 at the Stockbridge Bowl. The post, which contains discriminatory and inflammatory language, does not reflect the values of our community, and we unequivocally condemn such statements.
Upon review, it appears that the account responsible for this post was created on February 18, 2025, and may not be associated with the actual event organizer. Additionally, the language used in this post differs significantly from event organizer communications. Given these inconsistencies, we are forwarding this matter to the Environmental Police for further review.
Furthermore, the organizers have hosted similar events in the past without any reported issues or violations. There has been no prior indication of discriminatory behavior or failure to comply with event regulations. In the past Stockbridge has had great success with family friendly fishing derbies and other outdoor events.
The Town of Stockbridge does not condone discrimination in any form. Our public spaces and permitted events must comply with all state and local regulations, including policies that ensure inclusivity and respect for all individuals.
Out of respect for all parties involved in the incident, The Berkshire Edge did not reprint the original post in this article.
