By Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle
âThat certainly opens the door to the independent investigation being able to move forward,â said Jane Patton, the boardâs chairwoman.
Patton said she and other board members were surprised to learn that Sgt. Scott McGowan has withdrawn the federal lawsuit he filed in August against the chief and Town Manager Jason Hoch.
As a result, they havenât had the time to discuss the topic and consider the nature of such an investigation, which residents of the town repeatedly had requested in the weeks after the lawsuit was filed.
McGowan claimed that he was retaliated against for decrying racial and sexual harassment in the Police Department by the police chief and that McGowan was denied a promotion to lieutenant as a result.
WILLIAMSTOWN â The Williamstown sergeant who filed a federal civil lawsuit alleging bias and sexual harassment within the townâs Police Department has dropped the case, saying through his attorney that he now seeks to fix problems from within.
The action Tuesday in U.S. District Court followed the announcement Monday that Chief Kyle Johnson had resigned, effective that day. Lt. Michael Ziemba is serving as interim chief.
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âAs a result of many people asking difficult questions, and recent actions by the town and the Select Board, [Sgt. Scott McGowan] believes that Williamstown is committed to making the changes necessary to have a Police Department that is run in a way that everyone can be proud of.â
On Monday night, he got his wish. Or, more to the point, he got half of it. If we can get this lawsuit done and over with, I would appreciate it because my community needs to heal, Ansari said during a meeting of the town s Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Committee. It s Christmas. Let s just hope the miracle of Christmas makes this thing go. Police Sgt. Scott McGowan, who in August filed a federal lawsuit against the town, Chief Kyle Johnson and Town Manager Jason Hoch, said Monday night that he would withdraw his suit just after it was announced to the town that Johnson was stepping down from his post.
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