BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT WRIGHT -- A former police officer says suspended Police Chief Mark Brown intimidated and threatened her after she accused him of gossiping about her sexual harassment complaint against other officers.
Julie Walker, who has federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints pending against the city, testified Thursday in the second day of a disciplinary hearing for Chief Brown. The hearing is expected to conclude today.
Chief Brown testified Thursday he considered Ms. Walker's behavior insubordinate during a May 8 meeting in the city administrator's office. He denied her claims he tried to "accost her or block her path" when they encountered each another in the hallway soon after the meeting.
David Barth, Chief Brown's attorney, has characterized the case against his client as "an attempt to pass the blame for problems that (City Administrator) Marc Bergman caused."
Mr. Barth said Mr. Bergman "did no meaningful investigation" of Officer Walker's sexual harassment claims against two Fort Wright police officers for nearly a month, then tried to cover up his mistakes by calling for the police chief's dismissal.
Chief Brown has been off the job since May 11. He was suspended without pay a month later, when Mr. Bergman charged him with inefficiency, abusive or obscene language, immoral or improper conduct and discourtesy to the public or fellow employees.
Four days after Mr. Bergman asked Mayor Cindy Pinto to fire the police chief, she resigned. Paul Hiltz was appointed mayor, and he will decide whether to fire Chief Brown, based on evidence presented at the hearing.
When Ms. Walker resigned from the force May 11, after four months on the job, she told Mrs. Pinto in a letter that she feared for her job and her physical well-being.
Three days earlier, Ms. Walker testified, Chief Brown cursed at her and threatened to fire her when she accused him of discussing her sexual harassment case with another officer, despite an admonition by Mr. Bergman not to do so.
In a separate encounter May 8, Mr. Bergman said Chief Brown entered his office and "started shouting at me at the top of his lungs that I was not protecting him."
Mr. Bergman said the chief told him he was angry because he had heard from Officer Randy Newsom that Ms. Walker had asked to have him fired.
Chief Brown apologized to Mr. Bergman later that day, at Mrs. Pinto's request, Mr. Bergman said.
Mr. Bergman investigated Ms. Walker's claims of sexual discrimination and harassment, but found no evidence to corroborate them.
Ms. Walker's attorney, Steve Woltnitzek, has said he expects to file a federal lawsuit on Ms. Walker's behalf by the end of the month.
Much of the case against Chief Brown has focused on his use of abusive or obscene language with other police.
However, none of the police who have testified about the chief's use of loud or obscene language ever reported him to a superior, prompting Mr. Barth to utter early in the proceedings, "This is a police department. It's not a ballet school."
