More than three years after members of a neo-Nazi group disrupted a drag story hour at a cafe in downtown Concord, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office announced Thursday it has reached a settlement with the group’s leader that includes fines and community service.
Under the terms of the consent decree, Christopher Hood, the founder of NSC-131, will pay $2,500 and perform 250 hours of community service after admitting he violated the state’s antidiscrimination laws.
Attorney General John Formella said the resolution of the case, despite repeated delays due to the group’s unwillingness to comply with court orders, was evidence of the state’s commitment to pursuing the group’s “abhorrent and disgraceful” actions.
“Groups like NSC-131 are not welcome in this state, and that's what this resolution is intended to say,” Formella said during a press conference.
In June 2023, around two dozen members of NSC-131 swarmed the Teatotaller cafe, a privately owned business that had invited a drag performer to read children’s stories. Video of the incident showed masked members of the group chanting and using Nazi salutes outside of the cafe, while at least one member of the group was seen banging on the shop’s windows.
Concord police did not initially make any arrests, but six months later, the attorney general’s office filed civil complaints against Hood, the group’s leader, as well as nineteen “John Does” who allegedly orchestrated the protest.
The group’s members were accused by the attorney general’s Civil Rights Unit of violating the state’s anti-discrimination laws, and were facing fines of up to $10,000. The case has been delayed, prosecutors said, by the group’s unwillingness to comply with court orders including to turn over evidence such as videos taken by members of NSC-131. A trial scheduled for this spring was postponed.
This week, the parties entered into a consent decree that will require Hood to perform community service at a location approved by the attorney general’s office. Under the decree, the other group members, who were never identified, are also subject to the decree.
Formella said Hood, through his attorney, told prosecutors that he had no intention of continuing his role with NSC-131, and that the group was now “essentially defunct” in New Hampshire.
Hood’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
NSC-131, or the Nationalist Social Club, is described by the Anti-Defamation League as a New England-based neo-Nazi group founded in 2019 that “espouses racism, antisemitism and intolerance” and whose “membership is a collection of neo-Nazis and racist skinheads, many of whom have previous membership in other white supremacist groups.”
Members of NSC-131 have appeared sporadically around New England, displaying racist banners, chanting, and attempting to disrupt drag events. The group often filmed its activities and then posted videos on social media, though its social media presence appears to have waned in recent years.
In 2022, members of the group staged a protest in Portsmouth, hanging a banner across a busy road emblazoned with the phrase “Keep New England White.” State prosecutors attempted to charge the group with trespassing and violations of the civil rights law, but a judge dismissed the criminal case as an attempt to stifle free speech protections.
In Massachusetts, the Attorney General’s office also sought civil penalties against the group’s leaders in 2023 over its alleged targeting of migrant families and LGBTQ residents.
Formella defended the consent decree, saying that it was important to have Hood admit he violated the law, even if he wouldn’t pay the maximum penalty of $10,000. He also called for lawmakers to increase potential financial penalties for future violations.
“Even when we can't take legal action, even when the First Amendment may protect this activity from enforcement action, we as public officials can condemn these types of activities, and we can say they're not welcome here,” said Formella.
Last summer, members of a different hate group, Blood Tribe, staged a protest in downtown Concord and on the lawn of the State House. The group, which waived flags bearing swastikas, held a banner reading “Trump Loves Epstein” before fleeing in the back of a U-Haul truck. The Attorney General’s office said the group’s conduct was protected speech, and no arrests or civil penalties were issued.
