Former officers target MSJC with wrongful termination claims/PE
November 20th, 2008http://www.pe.com/localnews/rivcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_copclaim20.414b517.html#
“Two probationary police officers and a reserve officer left MSJC’s police force this year and have filed claims against the college alleging co-workers including the police chief acted inappropriately.”
“A 37-page exhibit, drafted in the form of a legal complaint, details conflicts with former co-workers and suggests that other employees violated district policies.”
“Their claims of wrongful termination, breach of contract and employer policies, and defamation were rejected by college trustees at a Nov. 13 board meeting.”
Blog:
With the district spending upwards of $1,000,000 annually for this police department, all of this is an embarrassment and a waste of taxpayer/district assets. Release of probationary employees do not require reasons and the other guy was a volunteer.
(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Ann, what in the world is going on over there? The Police Chief took ice cream from a street vendor and placed it in his garage and handed it out to his neighbors? Are you kidding me? Thats stealing! If this really happened Ann the last thing the College needs to worry about are the claims from the former officers. The Police Chief committing crimes on duty and in uniform?
I have been reading your blog and have read some of the posts about the Police Department over the last few months. I took everything with a grain of salt. However, after reading this article it all seems to be true. Is this Police Department properly supervised and if the officers were let go because of what they knew and were threatened doesn’t this seem like an enormous problem?
If there was only one officer coming forward I would say this is sour grapes. Three officers coming forward suggests a big problem.
Sex on duty and stolen ice cream?? Give them due process. Investigate, determine the facts and administer appropriate disipline up to and including termination. Is the VP of personnel,supervisor of the PD, up to the task? Will the President of the college demand accountability? We will see.
Ann, is it true that none of the board members actually saw the complaint before you all voted? I certainly hope not!
And is it true that the district’s own law firm (Zampi, Determan & Erickson) is handling the investigation into the claims made by the terminated officers? If this is the case (and I hope not) what jury could ever conclude that the resulting investigation was fair and impartial?
Attorneys litigate, Ann. They don’t specialize in internal investigations; certainly not one involving allegations of corruption at the highest level of the PD. Irma Ramos and Roger Shultz should have also know that. The college would have been much wiser to ask the Sheriff’s Department to come in and handle that portion. Then they could have forwarded their findings to the BOT and/or Zampi. Taking into account the Sheriffs Department has nothing to gain or lose by uncovering the real facts; it sure would have been a lot smarter to use them.
I sincerely wish you and MSJC PD all the luck in the world…you will need it on this one I think.
I agree with RU Kidding. The VP/HR oversees the department. It clearly appears NO ONE has exercised proper oversight of the PD. Hopefully the President will demand accountability and in doing so, take the right actions. An independent investigation by Zampi or any associate does not meet the definition of “independent”.
Belinda, to be more accurate…3 ex-officers and 1 current officer have all come out. Based on that I think there is absolutely NO QUESTION all this is factual. Why would a guy who is gainfully employed (and on probation himself) risk coming out and jeopardizing his employment status unless it were not the truth? You are right…this is frightening!
RM–Well said. Also one of the persons that was let go and filed a complaint is in financial distress, looking for a free pay check. This investigation SHOULD be handled by the Sheriff’s Department. The school doing it could lead into another future law suit.
So let me get this right, the Police Chief essentially robs the ice cream man, has the poor guy deported and is still working as a Police Chief? How is this possible?
So if I go knock off mister softee tomorrow night can I just pull the “I am taking this as evidence” card?
WOW Crazy, I don’t know about free paycheck. If this guy was let go unjustifiably, and was, as you say, in “financial distress,” then that don’t sound to much like a “free paycheck” to me. Sounds like he’s paying the price BIGTIME!
Oh my goodness Ann, have you now seen this! This story is a lot more detailed than the Press Enterprise. This is very disturbing!
http://www.myvalleynews.com/story.php?story_id=34207
There is much more detail about the wrongful termination law suit in the article I read in the Valley News. It made the front page. Wow! That department is messed up, Ann:
http://myvalleynews.com/story.php?story_id=34207
Ann, operations at this department need to be suspended until an outside agency can investigate this. This is truly an embarrassment to the District and to law enforcement.
Ann, any reason why an emergency BOT meeting has not been called to discuss this matter? I am not sure what more of an urgent matter there can be. You Police Chief is being accussed of committing thefts on duty,in uniform while armed with a firearm!
Emergency Board meeting? Only the Board chair, Joan Sparkman, or a majority of the Board can call a meeting. But whether it’s an emergency or regular meeting, let’s take care of business. Call everybody in, confront them with the allegations, get their stories, decide what is true and believable and administer appropriate disipline up to and including dismissal. Are we to believe the VP/HR does not have the ability to do this in a timely way? That’s what it looks like.
And the responsibilty of the President to superintend the District appears to be, what ever happens, happens.