WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The police officer who accused the Police Department of sexual harassment and racism has retired, ending a year of tumult that saw the departure of both the town manager and police chief.
Sgt. Scott McGowan retired as of Oct. 31, according to a statement issued by his attorney David A. Russcol, a partner of Zalkind, Duncan and Bernstein of Boston.
"Sgt. McGowan came to believe that continuing the legal disputes with the town of Williamstown would not be in anyone's best interests," said Russcol. "He intends to dismiss his recent retaliation complaint at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, as those issues have been resolved to his satisfaction and that of the town."
Interim Town Manager Charles Blanchard said he could only confirm that as of Oct. 31, McGowan was no longer a member of the Williamstown Police Department. He added that town would issue a statement on this next week.
McGowan had recently filed a second complaint with MCAD, alleging that he was placed on administrative leave last winter as retaliation for allegations he raised in a 2019 MCAD complaint and subsequent federal lawsuit against the town, the former town manager and the former police chief.
Meanwhile, the town had three times in the past month scheduled a disciplinary hearing for McGowan, who then exercised his right to have the hearing held in public. The latest date scheduled for the hearing was Nov. 16.
During this period, the Select Board held two executive sessions related to litigation regarding police.
The town's annus horribilis began in August 2020 when McGowan filed suit in federal court alleging three counts of discrimination and retaliation for bringing misconduct in the force to light and naming then Town Manager Jason Hoch and Police Chief Kyle Johnson.
The Select Board was caught off-guard by the federal suit and had been unaware of the MCAD complaint, in which McGowan alleged the town denied him a promotion to lieutenant because he blew the whistle on various incidents of sexual misconduct and racist behavior in the Police Department.
Those incidents, some of which went undenied by the town in court filings, sparked a community conversation about conduct in the department and ultimately led to the departure of the former chief and town manager.
In March, McGowan was placed on paid administrative leave for investigation into an "employee complaint." Hoch, who was still town manager at the time, said the leave was not disciplinary.
Russcol said the sergeant had informed Blanchard last week on his intent to retire from the department, in which he has served since 2002.
McGowan's retirement would seem to close a chapter on a year of turmoil that has led the town to consider its police practices, but town has still not fully recovered. It's back to square one in trying to find a permanent town manager after a failed search last month, and will have to find a temporary manager as Blanchard will be leaving next month. The lack of a town manager has also put off the search for a new police chief.
Russcol's full statement is below:
Late last week, Sergeant Scott McGowan informed Williamstown Interim Town Manager Charles Blanchard of his retirement from the Williamstown Police Department, effective October 31, 2021. Sgt. McGowan came to believe that continuing the legal disputes with the Town of Williamstown would not be in anyone’s best interests. He intends to dismiss his recent retaliation complaint at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, as those issues have been resolved to his satisfaction and that of the Town.
In 20 years of service to the Town of Williamstown Police Department (14 years as the department investigator), Sgt. McGowan has been a dedicated law enforcement officer and civil servant. Sgt. McGowan was responsible for the successful investigation of serious crimes against individuals and helping to deliver appropriate justice. These incidents ranged from significant larcenies to the heinous crimes of sexual assault and rape, which at times targeted our most vulnerable populations, children and the elderly.
Because of Sgt. McGowan's thoroughness and fairness, he earned the respect of prosecutors in the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office. Sgt. McGowan further earned the admiration of defense counsel, too, as Sgt. McGowan understood that it was equally essential in an investigation to exonerate the innocent. This admiration was most evident when two prosecutors and two criminal defense attorneys provided letters of recommendation for Sgt. McGowan's promotion to the rank of lieutenant in 2019.
Sgt. McGowan is delighted to move ahead with his many future career opportunities. Despite this, Sgt. McGowan does have one foremost sadness leaving law enforcement, and that is the permanent bond he formed with the many survivors of serious crimes that remains unbroken today. Sgt. McGowan understood law enforcement was more than stopping a car for speeding, and real police work was truly helping individuals who were victimized get justice.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Williamstown Planning Board Hears Results of Sidewalk Analysis
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Two-thirds of the town-owned sidewalks got good grades in a recent analysis ordered by the Planning Board.
But, overall, the results were more mixed, with many of the town's less affluent neighborhoods being home to some of its more deficient sidewalks or going without sidewalks at all.
On Dec. 10, the Planning Board heard a report from Williams College students Ava Simunovic and Oscar Newman, who conducted the study as part of an environmental planning course. The Planning Board, as it often does, served as the client for the research project.
The students drove every street in town, assessing the availability and condition of its sidewalks, and consulted with town officials, including the director of the Department of Public Works.
"In northern Williamstown … there are not a lot of sidewalks despite there being a relatively dense population, and when there are sidewalks, they tend to be in poor condition — less than 5 feet wide and made out of asphalt," Simunovic told the board. "As we were doing our research, we began to wonder if there was a correlation between lower income neighborhoods and a lack of adequate sidewalk infrastructure.
"So we did a bit of digging and found that streets with lower property values on average lack adequate sidewalk infrastructure — notably on North Hoosac, White Oaks and the northern Cole Avenue area. In comparison, streets like Moorland, Southworth and Linden have higher property values and better sidewalk infrastructure."
Newman explained that the study included a detailed map of the town's sidewalk network with scores for networks in a given area based on six criteria: surface condition, sidewalk width, accessibility, connectivity (to the rest of the network), safety (including factors like proximity to the road) and surface material.
By a 5-1 vote, the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday OK'd a school-sanctioned field trip to Ecuador despite concerns that not all district families would be able to afford the opportunity. click for more
The middle-high school council is requesting the addition of three full-time teachers in the next fiscal year — one each in the math, wellness and world languages departments. click for more
Utilizing the school's "buddy reading" format, 65 sixth grade students read the storybook to a Pre-K, Kindergarten or 1st grade student. click for more
Grandchamp reiterated that CareOne, Sweetwood's owner, is committed to honoring the assisted living contracts it has with current residents, and Sweetwood is still marketed online to potential new residents as an "independent living" community. click for more
