Ex- Mount Pleasant police chief sues borough

The former Mount Pleasant police chief has sued the Westmoreland County borough, claiming that he was wrongfully fired because he refused to ignore waste and wrongdoing.

Douglas Sam, who served as Mount Pleasant’s police chief from March 2015 until his termination in February, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U. S. District Court in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

The lawsuit provides several instances in which Mr. Sam claimed his relationship with borough council members and officials was damaged because he was trying to do his job properly.

In 2016, Council President Paul Wagner asked then- Chief Sam to investigate a councilperson who was depositing duplicate checks from the borough. When it was revealed that the councilperson had improperly deposited two checks, Mr. Sam turned the investigation over to state police.

The councilperson, who was not identified, went to Mr. Sam’s office and chastised him, permanently damaging their relationship, according to the lawsuit.

In 2018, Mr. Sam pulled over a man on suspicion on DUI and, as he was getting out of his patrol car, saw the man making a phone call. Minutes later, the lawsuit said, Mr. Sam received a call from a Mount Pleasant official asking him to reconsider what he was doing.

Mr. Sam then received a phone call from another borough official, who questioned if the police chief was doing the right thing.

Neither of the Mount Pleasant officials was identified.

The lawsuit said a Mount Pleasant official continued to press Mr. Sam to drop the DUI charges, but he refused. The man ended up participating in one of the court’s diversionary programs.

On Feb. 4, borough council voted in an unannounced and private executive session to remove Mr. Sam as chief, according to the lawsuit.

Mr. Sam was not provided with notice of his firing and was never given a chance to defend himself, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit demands a jury trial in which it can be found that Mount Pleasant violated Mr. Sam’s rights. He seeks to be awarded back pay and compensation for other costs and fees.

Mount Pleasant Mayor Jerry Lucia declined comment.