mid-week politics with dave packard
they were conducted with politics and david patten in studio with us this
michael kearney springfield massachusetts police officer thanks for
coming in today treatments for and let's get 'em lewis is close to the mic as
possible these things are so did the opposite of sensitive
and you've got it gets close to it as you feel comfortable shirt thanks for
the so tell tell me i want to get to
you testimony before congress into a lot of other things the first kind of set
the stage how long have you been a police officer
nama proximately a
well i have thirty years on the books on there there was a little at a time there
that uh... was on a leeway attitude my case or get into that later
and always in springfield yeah
so you've been a lifer
while in europe in the area didn't from and and so there have been
so for our listeners
places where they may not be familiar with our springfield plenty of
springfield i'm sure closer to to where they are misprint field is known for a
few different things and it's also it's not known as being a particularly safe
city is it
well sprinkles of birthplace valves called fire of fame populations about a
hundred and fifty thousand it's uh... very diverse uh... population and uh...
it sits up there and still is a
as one of the most dangerous cities in america
and that includes gun crime scene
by drug crimes and what else is the word but is that they're basically sonar la
southeast asia's prostitution and handle public drinking
uh... we have a a number of uh... a legal
farm that it is that happen on a daily basis cancer
mob activity about tivity and uh...
then brahma scientists pretentious place but uh...
uh... i grew up there com financed on my wife there and i uh...
don't have an intensely
has been a
and you also didn't have intentions of leaving the springfield police force
years ago but you had no choice temporarily counted bring us up to date
on had that
happened and how it started
well uh... i wasn't so um... too comfortable with my sexual orientation i
was in a career that wasn't a
very conducive to gay employees and by felt very uncomfortable uh...
uh... he did that for many years and and uh... catsup
the point where with some painful that
took some time off uh... and resigned in nineteen eighty nine
and you just resigned by that point the identity of for personal reasons
online and say what the personal reasons were too so i might add resign com
struggle with the issue and i and ninety nine difference
after i a uh... what i call it crashed and burned
bom i sought some some professional help and was able to
lawn
to cleared a
the fog and nam actually come i'll and
and say that i was scared
we wish huge sha
their words
obviously the first effect
of many armed to come
and i'm
to provide a year or two on
off as i was working in the private sector and by competent to go back
in nineteen ninety-two simply supplies and police department came how in the
interview told them what my struggle was u
how i saw it help and uh... where i was today
and uh...
postal nine
that happened the first time on
i retain
attorney and and he spoke with uh... member and city council
told 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 were being denied all areas hush-hush nobody said anything
they just uh... sent a letter and said that you had been denied in
basically that was a
as you knew you based on your experience in based on your background
there it was really no legitimate reason to be denied or how did it start there
were so if or other officers that were asking for reinstatement none all four
of those were chosen
to go back to work except me
and are clearly there was no on past industry with me
and uh... um... i've felt that i was wrong com ve
my attorneys so warns of the mayor of telephone interview
and present it up
at that interview was the police chief
and uh...
couldn't understand that he would be there 'cause usually dealt with the
police commission nam
and he spoke on my behalf and he said that i did a commendable job is a police
officer and recommended that i desire
so when i walked out the door that night and i really felt like i have a job in
the bag and everything was good and uh... i was tonight account
farm
and those four candidates steps uh... went back to work
palms
you know some rolls through the ranks one of them so lieutenant today
and now some of the other side work with now as that has a police officer and we
have a tremendous relationship bollam
it was a long struggle mama took two-and-a-half years of my life
farm
but make no bones about it if i didn't live in massachusetts unb
or one of twelve or thirteen other states of america
i couldn't one my job and this is because of the employment
non-discrimination act well all manasa she's just we have our protection under
the massachusetts commission against discrimination which include sexual
orientation
so i filed a complaint with them and two two-and-a-half years
and uh... i urge from probable cause they found probable cause my complaint
and i'll wear a blue worked out with the city and return to work
renewing all his arrival in part by jackson and connor classically modern
men's apparel in northampton massachusetts on the second floor thorns
marketplace and idea
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