Letter to the Editor: New Boston Government Tensions Are Still High
I wish to remain anonymous but I feel it is important to disclose important information to the citizens of New Boston and Scioto County. I am sharing this information after reading earlier articles on your website in reference to the corruption within the government of the Village of New Boston.
As you are aware former Chief Goins who is still on administrative leave tried to discredit, discipline, and criminally charge current police supervisors after they disagreed with his treatment of police officers. Because former Chief Goins could not find a good reason to terminate or discipline the police supervisors he colluded with his friend Councilman Jon Mills because he knew Councilman Jon Mills had a vendetta against the police supervisors.
The current supervisors have suffered through 5 months of retaliation which has caused undue stress to everybody involved including Mayor Williams who has been off on sick leave. The current supervisors have been subjected to criminal investigations, administrative investigations, and the threat of discipline.
The criminal investigation was conducted by the Scioto County Sheriffs Office and later submitted to Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman and Portsmouth City Prosecutor John Haas. Both prosecutors reviewed the investigation and later remanded it back to the Village of New Boston after finding no wrongdoing and refusing to file charges.
After receiving notification the New Boston Village Council and the New Boston Village Solicitor were unhappy and continued to harass and retaliate against the police supervisors by hiring Attorney Jason Kester at a price tag of almost $8000 of taxpayer’s money to conduct another investigation. That investigation was completed and submitted to the acting Chief of Police Carl Compton for his review and decision.
After review, acting Chief Compton again recommended no discipline against the police supervisors because nothing is there. Before being hired by the crooked and dishonest New Boston Village Council acting Chief Compton was employed as an investigator by Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman before Prosecutor Tieman terminated his employment for dishonesty in office, malfeasance, and nonfeasance.
Throughout this entire 5 month process neither police supervisor has been formally notified by the mayor or council or been given anything accusing them of wrongdoing. The village refused to put anything in writing for the police supervisors which keeps them in the dark and unable to hire legal representation because they do not even know what they are being accused of. By doing so the Village of New Boston has violated multiple police and village policies and procedures and they continue to retaliate against the police supervisors in hopes that the police supervisors will resign therefore giving up any right to sue the village.
The police supervisors and other officers have filed EEO complaints and the Village of New Boston again hired another outside law firm to investigate the complaints again costing the taxpayers money even though the village has an EEO officer who is paid to investigate the complaints. Basically, the Village of New Boston has done everything they could to harass and retaliate against the police supervisors and other officers. Unfortunately, after multiple investigations, the Village of New Boston has come up short. It should be known to the public that the police supervisors at the New Boston Police Department have all been cleared of any wrongdoing by outside independent investigators because I am sure the Village of New Boston will not report this information to the public.
By doing so they would be getting egg in the face after 5 months of unwarranted investigations and thousands of wasted taxpayer dollars. The only thing the Village of New Boston has received is another Chief of Police who has chosen to conform to the illegal and crooked ways of the village council. I recommend you research this information for yourself. Especially the reason acting Chief of Police Carl Compton was recently terminated from the Scioto County Prosecutors Office. It appears as if nothing will change at the Village of New Boston. Just more dishonest appointed or elected public officials.