Town to pay fired police chief $275K
Toolbox
By Susan Smallheer STAFF WRITER - Published: July 9, 2009
BRATTLEBORO – The town of Brattleboro settled its legal fight with its former police chief, agreeing to pay John Martin $275,000.
Martin was fired in November 2007 by the Brattleboro Select Board on the recommendation of then-interim Town Manager Barbara Sondag. Martin immediately filed suit, claiming his firing was unlawful.
Martin, a 30-year veteran of the Brattleboro Police Department, was blamed by the town administration for a series of problems with the police department, including the controversial Tasering of two peaceful demonstrators during a July 2007 demonstration against a proposed Putney Road development.
Martin, a resident of neighboring West Chesterfield, N.H., said Wednesday he feels exonerated by the decision, which came after a mediation session in Rutland at the office of mediator Joan Wing. The mediation had been ordered by the court, he said.
Martin is still in law enforcement in the Brattleboro community and Windham County in general. He now teaches law enforcement part time at the Windham Regional Career Center at the Brattleboro Union High School, and he also is a part-time deputy sheriff with the Windham County Sheriff's Department, handling hiring and recruitment for the department.
John Allen, vice-chairman of the Brattleboro Select Board, said the board agreed to accept the mediator's recommendation in an effort to resolve the issue and "move the town forward."
Allen wasn't on the board that fired Martin, and he said the former board's leadership and decisions had upset him so much he ran for the board in 2008, when former Board Chairwoman Audrey Garfield was defeated.
The town will only pay $500 of the $275,000 settlement, as the town's insurance with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns will pay for the decision.
Martin said he was unemployed until August 2008, when he started teaching at the high school, and he's been working part time for the sheriff's department since January. He still isn't working full time, Martin said.
"I have not seen a settlement offer of this magnitude for any of the other cases I was involved in – including the wrongful death," Martin said, referring to another Brattleboro police controversy, the shooting of a distraught man, armed with a knife, in a Brattleboro church.
"It was more than a quarter of a million dollars, clearly it says something," said Martin.
Martin said he never wanted to return to the police department as chief after he was fired, and praised the work of current Chief Eugene Wrinn, who worked for Martin for years.
"I have a good relationship with Gene and the department is in good hands. I have an enormous amount of respect for Gene, who is very honest and sincere," Martin said.
Allen said he felt the department was in a better place, with higher morale, under Wrinn.
"Gene is doing a great job," Allen said.
Sondag, who was later hired to the permanent manager's position, was out of the office Wednesday and unavailable.
Allen said the board was extremely happy with Sondag. "She's a great asset for Brattleboro," he said.
Since Martin's firing, the town has put in place more clearly defined procedures regarding disciplinary issues, Allen said.
susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com
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