Chief steps down after accusations
BRIMFIELD, Ohio — A township police chief in northeastern Ohio who gained a large following with his commentary on Facebook has resigned amid accusations he mistreated one of his female officers.
Trustees of Brimfield Township, near Kent in Portage County, accepted Chief David Oliver’s resignation yesterday but offered little insight into accusations against him.
Oliver announced yesterday that he is retiring in the wake of a two-week suspension for an administrative policy violation. The investigation that led to the suspension stemmed from a Dec. 10 email accusing Oliver of gender-based harassment.
Trustees and township officials said they did not pressure Oliver to resign and did not intend to fire him. A township attorney said Oliver will not face criminal charges in connection with the investigation.
“There was no pressure from anyone on this board for Dave to step down,” Trustee Mike Kotensky said. “We were looking forward to having him back in two weeks.”
An investigation revealed that Oliver violated administrative policy by treating a female officer unfairly because of her gender. The violation was not sexual in nature, township attorney Greg Beck said.
Beck, who recommended the two-week suspension, declined to comment further. Trustees said they could not address the matter because it was discussed in executive session.
Oliver, who did not attend the meeting, wrote in his resignation letter that he retiring for medical reasons. He suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder, he said in a Facebook post yesterday morning announcing his retirement.
“There has been a weight on his shoulders not just in the past few weeks, but prior to that,” Kotensky said. “He sounded relieved when I spoke to him.”
Approximately 50 people attended the hourlong meeting; many spoke in support of Oliver.
“Unfortunately, with many things, the good guy doesn’t always come out on top,” resident Sharon Graser said after the meeting.
A police patrolwoman “repeatedly objected to actions by (Oliver) which constitute sexual harassment, hostile work environment and/or retaliation for her opposition to sexual harassment,” Kent attorney Nancy Grim wrote in a Dec. 10 email to Oliver and other township officials.
Grim was not immediately available for comment yesterday afternoon.
Oliver addressed the accusations in his Facebook post yesterday morning.
“Folks, I am a hugger and a laugher,” he said. “I have hugged every employee in that building more than once. I usually hug everyone I meet. I believe life is fun. People have stopped into the department from lots of different states for hugs.
“When I hugged officers in the department, it was comical. Everyone laughed and carried on about it. It was something funny in the middle of what can be a very stressful job. I never once hugged an employee for ‘dirty’ reasons or as something vulgar. That is just not my speed.”
The department’s Facebook page, which boasts nearly 177,000 followers, has attracted national attention for Oliver’s humorous, candid posts.
In 2013 he released a book, No Mopes Allowed, which is a collection of his Facebook entries and other law-enforcement observations.