Milton chief refutes suspension allegations | News, Sports, Jobs

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MILTON TOWNSHIP — Longtime fire chief Harold Maynard said administrators disciplined him for what he believed to be a “group of like-minded, disgruntled employees,” according to a letter he sent to administrators earlier this month.

The letter is a response to his recent suspension, and Maynard said there have never been any issues or issues that required the involvement of a trustee.

Maynard said he was called into executive session following a regular meeting in May, in which board chairman Dave Tomaino mentioned letters of complaint from individuals within the board. fire department. Maynard said he was accused of having a poor training schedule and was “devastated” by the allegations.

He said he told fire department personnel during a mandatory training on sexual harassment in the workplace on May 22 that their next meeting would be mandatory to try to resolve some issues and that he wanted to collectively find solutions. solutions to problems encountered by the service.

Maynard said he received a letter on June 2 from the trustees stating that he was not permitted to visit township property unescorted and that he must return township property in his possession. The property was to be inventoried and returned in the presence of a police officer, which was confirmed by a police report in Maynard’s file. He was also not allowed to have contact with any member of the fire department.

He also said in the letter that he was “outraged” at being treated like a criminal after serving the township.

Maynard concluded the letter by stating that he expects a special meeting to be held between him and the administrators and wants a “remediation plan” to be drafted. Maynard added that he will be forced to seek “other means” to repair the damage done to his name and reputation.

Administrators placed Maynard on paid administrative leave on June 2. Tomaino did not explain why this was done in a previous meeting, reiterating that Maynard would be on leave while they look at some issues within the fire department.

Letters in Maynard’s personnel file from current and former members of the fire department described the work environment Maynard fostered, citing examples of gender discrimination, safety concerns, and toxicity.

“There have been many Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVAs) where I have been told to sit in the back of the team with the occupants of the vehicle while we wait for the OSP to come and talk to them, investigate the accident and then extricate us from the scene,” volunteer member Julliane D’Amico wrote in a June 1 letter to trustees. “During this time, my male colleagues have been on the outside doing tasks that I am more than capable of doing and I have rarely had the opportunity to do so. There have also been several MVAs, during the months the colder ones, where Chef Maynard told me to sit in the cabin while my male colleagues continue to be outside and exposed to the elements Why am I getting this special treatment and not d other? What makes me different from my colleagues other than gender?”

Zachary Williams served the department for 10 years as a captain and was one of the former employees who reached out to administrators about Maynard in a May 26 letter.

“Administrator DiBernardi, you actually have a huge problem on your hands that has only gotten worse over the years since nothing has ever been done about it. You really should listen to your current employees on this one, they’re not making this up,” Williams wrote. “If you want me to be honest with you, you will never have strong working relationships with other departments or new candidates coming to Milton Fire while Harold Maynard is fire chief.”

“To this day, the mutual aid services that I still work with on a daily basis continue to say that they do not want to work with him because of his actions.”

Williams concluded his letter by saying that Maynard is not who everyone thinks he is and that he has lied repeatedly to look good, and that Williams would have no problem reaching out to the former members who had the same feelings and left for similar reasons. .

“I would be more than happy to return to Milton Township if the current administration were released from office,” Williams wrote.

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