A former Hartford police lieutenant who was fired earlier this month plans to challenge his termination, alleging his civil rights have been violated.
Paul West was fired from the Hartford Police Department on Oct. 4, according to a spokesperson for the department. His termination came after an internal affairs investigation reportedly found him in violation of department policies. The department did not provide comment on what policies West allegedly violated.
West has long maintained that he was targeted after he reported a sexual harassment complaint on behalf of a Latina officer to the police administration in 2018, when West was the commanding officer of the recruitment division. West described attending a work event with the two recruitment officers, Officer Kelly Baerga and Sgt. Andrew Rodney. There, he witnessed Rodney allegedly sexually harassing Baerga, the department’s LGBTQ liaison at the time, who reported the behavior to West.
After making an official report against Rodney, a lengthy investigation ensued. Rodney was disciplined in September 2019 with a 35-day suspension, The Courant has reported.
The investigation brought into question the city’s outdated policies and the Police Department’s ability to handle sexual harassment complaints. Hartford adopted a new sexual harassment policy and complaint procedure in October 2019 that requires more training of employees and regular status updates for people who file complaints.
West alleges that since bringing forth the complaint he was “repeatedly passed over for desirable assignments” because of his race, according to previous reports. He also alleged that he was taken off the recruitment division without receiving a justification and allegedly received harassing texts and phone calls.
A federal lawsuit filed in 2020 also details an incident in December 2018 in which then Assistant Police Chief Rafael Medina allegedly “verbally berated” West at a crime scene and snapped his fingers and patted his thigh while calling for West, “in the vein of a dog being commanded to heel by its master’s side,” the complaint states.
The veteran police officer with 23 years in the department had been on extended leave from the Hartford Police Department since he was seriously injured in May 2019 while off duty. He was reportedly struck in the head with a baseball bat while trying to break up a fight near his home in Windsor.
“I don’t see this termination as the end of my career or something that is going to stop me, I see it as a challenge I have to meet with my community,” West said. “I don’t want this to be about Paul West, I think what I am going through should be highlighted so that another young Black male or female does not have to go through what I’m going through right now.”
West said his firing came after he returned from being on workers’ compensation for four years.
In addition, West alleges part of his firing came from a complaint filed by a co-worker who helped him with a statistics class while he was pursuing a masters degree in 2016. The woman officer later filed a complaint with the department that she wasn’t paid, West said. But West denies ever offering to pay her and said the class was ungraded.
“She made a complaint with HR that I had created a hostile work environment,” West said.
West’s attorney, Alex Taubes, said the federal civil rights lawsuit filed in 2020 is still currently pending in court. Hartford civil rights attorney Cynthia Jennings and Taubes are both representing West. A complaint filed in 2019 with the state’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunity is also still pending, according to Taubes.
“The termination is still in the union grievance stage, so nothing has been filed,” Taubes said. “There are no public updates I can provide at this time.”
Controversy also ensued earlier this year after West alleged he was passed up for consideration to be the next police chief due to his race. Former Chief Jason Thody announced he was stepping down in March. Assistant Chief Kenny Howell was named acting chief of police in July.
West’s supporters allege he was unfairly passed over for the chief position without receiving a specific reason.
“We urge newly elected Mayor Arunan Arulampalam to meet with Lt. West, hear his story directly, and take immediate steps to reach a fair settlement that includes Mr. West’s full reinstatement to the force he has served with great distinction,” Taubes said.
A couple dozen city activists, including members from BLM860, rallied for West last Sunday outside police headquarters urging the city to rehire him. A message sent out by BLM860 vice president Ivelisse Correa said the rally was to stand against “the racist, sexist and homophobic culture of the Hartford Police Department.” City activists including Bridgitte Prince and Jennings spoke at the rally.
“Paul West is being targeted for actually doing what police departments claim to want, they want transparency, they want to stand up for the marginalized and get rid of the bad apples,” Correa said. “Yet the bad apple here received only a 35-day suspension, and five years after this incident Paul West is still being targeted over and over.”
A spokesperson for Howell said he has no comment at this time. The mayor’s office did not provide comment.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [email protected].
