Johnsonâs last day was Monday.
Lt. Michael Ziemba will serve as interim chief until a search concludes. Officials hope to have a search for a permanent chief completed by late spring.
Johnson has been under heavy criticism from community members after some behaviors on his part came to light as part of a lawsuit this summer. The civil suit was filed by a department employee who alleged sexual and racial harassment in the workplace involving the chief and others.
Then it came to light that, under his watch, one of his officers was investigated and disciplined by the Massachusetts State Police for sexual assault but wasnât fired.
POLITICO
Get the Massachusetts Playbook newsletter
Email
Sign Up
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Presented by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
Allen launched an exploratory committee to
run for governor as a Democrat on Monday, and she plans to embark on a listening tour around the state for the next several months. Allen, of Cambridge, is a political theorist, author and policy expert, and serves as director of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics.
Johnson s departure was announced early in Monday s Select Board meeting by Town Manager Jason Hoch, who, along with Johnson and the town, is a named defendant in a federal discrimination lawsuit brought by Sgt. Scott McGowan. That lawsuit, which came to light in August, raised allegations of sexual misconduct and racist behaviors in the WPD that touched off months of protest in the North Berkshire community. McGowan, who released his statement through resident and supporter Janice Loux, wrote that his decision to end the lawsuit came in response to Johnson s departure. After receiving the news, I have reflected on my current litigation with the Town, including the climate of distrust in our community, McGowan wrote. As such, I have reached a difficult decision to withdraw my federal lawsuit as I see this moment as an opportunity to join in our community s healing.
3:38
The Williamstown, Massachusetts police chief has resigned following months of outcry after allegations of racism and sexual misconduct in his department rocked the community this summer.
In August, Sergeant Scott McGowan filed a complaint in U.S. district court against the town accusing Chief Kyle Johnson of overseeing a department where racial discrimination and sexual harassment went on regularly. He specifically accused Johnson of sexually assaulting male and female members of the force, verbally demeaning women and turning a blind eye to incidents like a dispatcher using the N-word while a Black Williams College student was touring the station and an officer hanging a picture of Hitler in his locker for years. McGowan’s lawyer, David A. Russcol, spoke to WAMC then.