Twinsburg residents at city council meetings continue to share complaints about alleged police misconduct and a lack of public records requests being filled. Mayor Sam Scaffide and a council member maintain the allegations made during public comment are untrue.
The allegations stem from a public records lawsuit filed by three Twinsburg police officers nearly two years ago, alleging sexual harassment, records tampering and retaliation. The city fired all three officers in the following months, which the officers claimed was retaliation for filing the lawsuit. Twinsburg settled the lawsuit in early February for more than $150,000, a decision which Scaffide previously said was for financial reasons, adding that the city continues to dispute the allegations.
Many public records requests filed by the police officers and their attorney were filled during the process of the lawsuit, but residents speaking at a city council meeting Tuesday night said many of their own public records requests have still not been filled.
"Asking for the complete police dispatch audio for one day, one period, 24 hours, is not excessive," said Twinsburg resident Karen Clinton. "I didn't ask for a week. I didn't ask for a month."
Records requested by 精东影业 nearly two years ago, including for the disciplinary files of the three officers the city fired, have still not been filled by the city, despite numerous follow-up attempts.
Residents also shared concerns about details that emerged during deposition for the lawsuit. Police Chief Thomas Mason admitted in his deposition that he had recently learned his son's name was removed from a police report detailing underage drinking at a Halloween party by Sgt. Alan Ternosky, an allegation made in the lawsuit that the city continually denied. He did not assign anyone to investigate how or why Ternosky changed the the record. Ternosky was later promoted to lieutenant.
"Twenty-seven times he said he did not know a policy," Twinsburg resident Colleen Rubin said of Mason's deposition. "Eighteen times he admitted to policies not being followed."
Mason answered an additional 173 questions during the deposition with "no knowledge," "no memory" or "no awareness," she said.
"Yet, he was the official designee for knowing such things," Rubin said. "This was who the city sent."
Clinton has recently been the victim of a crime, she said, and requested the police department to conduct a full investigation.
"Well the problem is, Lt. Ternosky did my investigation," she said, as the audience laughed, "so yeah, how do I rely on this?"
Despite residents sharing details from sworn depositions during public comment, Scaffide and Councilmember David Post maintained that the accusations are untrue.
"We at city council, we are up here to represent the people, and I think that we do an awesome job representing the people," Post said. "The problem I have is when the people are wrong, and when the people are wrong and saying lots of facts that are wrong, it's hard to represent them."
After public comment, Scaffide took specific aim at Rubin.
"With regards to Colleen Rubin's comments, I need to tell you that 75% of the venom that comes out of that woman is false," he said, as the crowd erupted in disapproval. "False. Believe what you want. I'm telling you it's false."
Scaffide has not responded to a request for comment asking for clarification on what parts of the allegations made during public comment were untrue. Post declined to comment.
