in studio with us is michael kearney springfield massachusetts police officer
thanks for coming in today thank you for extra and let's get 'em lewis is close
to the mic as possible these things that showed that the opposite insensitive
he decided to get as close to it as you feel comfortable sure thanks so tell us
tell me i want to get to you testimony before congress into a lot of other
things the first come to set the stage how long have you been a police officer
mcdonald proximately uh...
well i have thirty years on the books uh... uh... the there was a little at
the time there that uh... was on the only way out of my case but will get
into that later
and always in springfield yeah
so you've been a lifer
while in europe in the area there in front of a wants for their so for our
listeners
places where they may not be familiar with our springfield plenty of
springfield untrue closer to to where they are springfield is known for a few
different things and it's also it's not known as being particularly safe city is
it
well sprinkles of the for a place that's called uh... of uh... and our
populations about a hundred and fifty thousand it's uh... very diverse uh...
population and uh...
it's it's up there and still is a
asthma one of the most dangerous it is in america and that includes gun crimes
soon
uh... drug crimes and what else is whatever is that that basically so i
know yasser arafat wages prostitution and and and now public drinking
uh... we have a a number of uh... a legal
uh... activities that happen on a daily basis gangs uh...
mob activity about
tivity and uh...
and a number on the side too so it's pretty dangerous place but uh...
uh... grew up there com announced on my wife there and i uh...
from having intentionally
as of yet
and you also didn't had intentions of leading the springfield police force
years ago but you had no choice temporarily candid bring us up to date
and how that
happened and how it started
well uh... wasn't uh... too comfortable with my sexual orientation uh... i was
in a career that wasn't uh...
uh... recanted serve to gay employees and uh... i've felt very incomparable
uh...
uh... hit that for many years uh... and uh... catsup
the point where with some painful that
uh... took some time off uh... and resigned and nineteen eighty nine
and you just resign at that point divided the for personal reasons
uh... mind and say what the personal reasons were just uh... wanted resign
and um...
struggle with the issue and i and nineteen ninety a few minutes
after i uh... what i call it crashed and burned
um... i sought some some professional help and was able to
to
to cleared uh...
the fog and nam actually come i'll and
and say that i was good
who wish is fuchsia
uh... words
obviously the first effect
of many nam to come
and uh...
to provide a year or two off
off as i was working in the private sector and by competent to go back
in nineteen ninety-two the same pleased by the same police department came how
in the interview told them what my struggle was uh...
how i sought help and uh... where i was today
and um...
postal mail
uh... that happened the first time uh...
everything
attorneys uh... and he spoke with uh... member and city council
for me to put in my paperwork again which i did
and i was flat out and i'd and what
did you know why you would be the noon hour is harsh rush nobody said anything
they just uh... sent a letter and said that you had been denied in
it is clear that was uh...
and you knew based on your experience in based on your background
there it was really no legitimate reason to be denied did start their words uh...
for other officers that were asking for reinstatement in all four of those were
chosen
to go back to work except me in
and are clearly uh... there was no on past uh... history with me
and arm i've felt that i was wrong uh...
uh... my attorneys so warns of nearer to have a for an interview
and present dot
at that interview was to please check and uh...
couldn't understand that he would be there 'cause usually dealt with the
police commission uh...
and he spoke on our behalf and he said that i did a commendable job is a police
officer and recommended that i be hired
so when i walked out the door that night i really felt like i have a job in the
bag and everything was scared and uh... i was tonight again
uh...
and of those four candidates steps are went back to work
uh...
you know some rose through the ranks on one of them so lieutenant on today
and not some of the other side work with uh... now as as a police officer we have
a tremendous relationship bomb
and i'm here is a long struggle on the two two-and-a-half years of my life
uh...
but make no bones about it com if i didn't live in massachusetts uh...
or one of
twelve or thirteen other states of america
uh... i couldn't one my job
and this is because of the employment non-discrimination well army
massachusetts we have our protection under the massachusetts commission
against discrimination which include sexual orientation
so i filed a complaint with them and uh... took two-and-a-half years
and uh... hires found probable cause they found probable cause my complaint
and uh... we're able to work out with the city in return to work when it
starts with incredible to me is that i'd know in advance
the comments that are going to pop up on you tube in my email after this
interview that were doing because i know that we have we have to very different
types of audiences the same show we're very very different political opinions
and what's incredible to me it is that their and this is not uncommon that
there is this type of prejudice where people would choose
a city that desperately needs police officers are sitting known for being up
a center of of uh... of crime in the northeast in massachusetts even if you
look at the cities with the the biggest crime problems in the country in
springfield is on that list yeah
clearly you had the experience in not only as a police officer but in that
actual department than you were denied that position for what we are using
their best guesses was sexual orientation did almost defies logic does
it not uh... uh... malcolm s_ commission against discrimination com so that there
was uh...
the only reason that they gave was uh... dissident other candidates for more
forthright and more enthusiastic about their job interviews and i uh...
obviously uh... and cats that that was protects um...
and uh...
probable cause cancer through and i was able to get my job back
again uh... you know if i was a federal employees in massachusetts f_b_i_ c_i_a_
or and you know any of the other of federal agencies i wouldn't have been
able to get my job back
and uh... son sound of my return dive
you know i've worked in a chief's office i work for the chief of police in an
hour for uh... second largest city in the state nam hai if uh...
worked in a narcotics unit i've worked on
and the police academy as a staff instructor and and and now i'm a line
cop and uh... and i love my job
and i i i i i would guess that if i couldn't do my job uh... i wouldn't be
there today and uh...
you know i've i've heard from others that uh... i'm a i'm a good cop and i
can't believe that i a m
i go to work to do my job and and just for that purpose
how did you end up testifying before both a i_d_ before the u_s_ senate in
november vote i'm men also uh... i guess it was a house committee and of seven is
there a now how did that come up
uh... well of the house i was asked by our congressman barney frank of gas your
phone such as massachusetts to to test of testify and and tell
the panel about my discrimination which i did
and uh... back in november i got a call on a friday down from the senate who
said that they needed me and thursday to testify ectopic
and i'm with mike departments blessing i was able to not only to go and testify
but to go in full uniform um... and full support of my police department today
uh... so that shows me that there's a change com
and voters change that still needed
without speaking with mike carney springfield massachusetts police officer
when you think about
the time at the springfield police
since you were reinstated by this kind of second hammer however we want we want
you feel
that their is that you are treated differently do you feel the after
effects of what was it doesn't sound to me a very pleasant experience at least
in the interim where you would deny that reinstatement or do you really feel like
that you i mean how could how comfortable are you i'm very comfortable
now on the uh... it's a pity are quite a bit of time to get their uh... the you
know on why i was out of work from but i was able to move through that with uh...
some help them
are my intruded just like anyone else there and that's all i wanted to be and
you really want to realize that you tried wholeheartedly feel that the uh...
wholeheartedly feel uh... an arm and again we're never going around yeah i
think that we could find dozens of instances of people in in your situation
in other states like he said if they're outside of that list of twelve or
thirteen
that they may not have the same type of the companies and dozens of people over
at the last
ten to fifteen years who have written to me personally
that are going through the same thing that i went through and they are not
able to armed access
any laws like
we have here in massachusetts have protected me
and i find that egregious today that uh... and two thousand intend that
we have one line in a and been a statement handful of states and
and then some other states that are gay americans are being treated as
second-class citizens and that i find it a courageous
what you know we could be um... i hadn't when i think about times that i've been
in situations where i was i was put down insulted for being jewish in different
work situations in the past and i was sixteen seventeen
i knew that i could fight it and get that other person move to another
location or whatever
i didn't want the job anymore
i didn't want to be there so i think it's incredible that and part of it
insures your commitment to the city of springfield in the fact that they need
police officers i'd find it amazing that you can't wants the crown room
sometimes i i i wonder why did but um... i did and i'm really happy that i did
harmonizing purpose prefer police departments pretty happy belated as well
and uh... and and that's a remarkable change
on from where we were written in nineteen ninety two and i think it's
time for change in america
i think this uh... this change is long overdue
and here are hundreds of thousands of workin please today that are being
discriminated against because of their sexual orientation
and uh...
it's uh...
he needs to change an absolutely needs change we've been speaking with michael
kearney springfield massachusetts police officer and former member of the
governor's task force on hate crimes as well ninety six two two thousand two i
wish we had more time on youtube if you google michael kearney people can
actually see your testimony
before congress i watch it several times and recommended as well thanks to thanks
for coming in to firm