Council to appeal Williford’s return
Last Modified: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
FLORENCE – Council members, without discussion, unanimously voted Tuesday night to appeal the city Civil Service Board’s decision to allow former Deputy Chief Pete Williford to return to the police department as a lieutenant.
Williford was terminated May 24 by Florence Police Chief Rick Singleton. The action was taken after Singleton investigated a sexual harassment complaint filed against Williford by a female subordinate.
He appealed to the Civil Service Board, and it voted last week to reinstate the 49-year-old Williford to the police department.
He was, however, demoted to lieutenant.
Council members have the right to appeal a Civil Service Board’s decision to Lauderdale County Circuit Court. Williford also has the same right under city procedures.
A date in which the city is expected to file appeal was not available Tuesday night.
“We are very disappointed in the city’s decision,” said Hank Sherrod, local civil rights attorney who represented Williford. “The independent civil board reviewed all of the evidence, and the decision to terminate Deputy Chief Williford’s employment was not just.”
Having the city appealing a Civil Service Board’s decision is unprecedented in Florence, numerous city officials said.
“This is the first time for this council to do something like this,” said Council President Leland Howard. “We should support the administration, the chief and the mayor.”
Howard said he has been told other complaints against Williford have been filed, but he did not elaborate.
“We must uphold a zero tolerance policy for workplace harassment,” said Mayor Bobby Irons, who introduced the resolution with Singleton.
During a work session before the regular meeting, council members went into executive session to discuss the appeal. They are allowed to go into executive session when the good name and character of an individual or legal issue is discussed.
Sherrod said he did not expect the city to appeal the decision from its own Civil Service Board.
“We were willing to accept the Civil Service Board’s decision, which was a compromise,” Sherrod said. “He was demoted; it wasn’t like he returned to the same position. It was somewhere between termination and returning his deputy chief position.”
Deciding to appeal the decision also surprised some Civil Service Board members.
“Based on the testimony heard by the Civil Service Board (from Williford on June 13), we made what we considered a fair decision,” said Frances Nunnelly, who chairs the Civil Service Board.
“The city council has the right to appeal,” she added. “We will defend our decision at such time as there is an appeal.”
Singleton said Williford is expected to be back at work on Monday. He said Williford is on annual leave, which he had scheduled to take before his termination.
“It hasn’t been determined what exactly he will be doing when he comes back, but he is expected to be assisting me with some technical aspects of the department,’’ Singleton said.
In other business, the council:
n approved a $13,508 contract with Environmental Design & Construction Inc. to install protective liners and required drainage facilities at the Florence police firing range.
Tom Smith and Kim Wallace contributed to this report.
Staff Writer Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@timesdaily.com.
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Comments
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June 20, 2007 9:14:09 am
RE: http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20...70620001/1011/NEWS01
I am happy to read that the decision was appealed. At some point and time, people in positions also have to be held accountable for their actions. I only hope the members of the Florence Civil Service Board can see that their decision was the wrong one.
June 20, 2007 9:17:47 am
you'e probably right about the decision of the Civil Service Board, but I also think the Council is on a power trip and they love nothing more than to pull rank whenever possible.
June 20, 2007 9:20:51 am
Jimbo are you saying the Council - while doing a good thing - has less than pure motives? If you aren't saying it, then I will.
June 20, 2007 9:33:24 am
I would think they would investigate the allegations of the women BEFORE even entertaining any sort of appeal...I say that and I know PW very well, but if he is guilty of the allegations, he has NO business in the PD.
June 20, 2007 9:45:18 am
I agree with you Kindred_spirit what is this saying about our PD, They make rules but oh well if they break them its ok you can stay but just at a different position.If the rule was to be fired then he shouls have been fired. end of story and everyone should have stood behind the chief in the desision.
Not giving a good impression to the community at all.
So for one wrong in the department makes them all wrong in the eyes of the community not a good thing for the innocent ones.
June 20, 2007 10:07:52 am
Freebird, to me it looks like getting him a paying job back is more important that what he alledgedly did to these women...I think they should DECIDE what happened with the women.. and IF he is GUILTY, then keep him FIRED!!!
Otherwise, FPD is saying they are ABOVE the law.
June 20, 2007 10:42:36 am
I was very pleased to see this decision as well. I will agree that at times, the City Council is on a power trip, but in this case, I believe they are listening to their constituants and the PEOPLE are not happy about this situation. If this had been anyone else that had sexually harassed a current employee of the police department -- I would dare say the decision would ahve been to leave them fired. However, Petey seems to think he is above the law -- he hinted to a conspiracy in his statements to the press -- that is an indication of mental problems in my humble opinion. I know for fact there are a lot of things going on at the PD behind the scenes and PW was part of those things and now he is claiming retaliation -- he's just mad because he got caught for a change instead of him ratting on other people. The Civil Service Board is disappointed they are being appealed. Get over it. They put PW back into the supervisor power position that they have put him in after someone complained -- You have in essence created a Hostile Working Environment. If it were me, I would sue the PD, the Civil Service Board and the City for allowing this to happen--not to mention PW personally -- therefore, he would lose some of that "precious income" he got from the PD.
Oh, yea and his comment that Police Work is his famiiy's livelihood??? He went to college -- go find a job -- it's not like you aren't "educated" and "capable". There are plenty of us that have lost our jobs because of cut-backs, closings, and other reasons not explained and yet we have pulled our lives together and moved forward. Get a grip!
June 20, 2007 10:51:08 am
Well said, I hope the ladies in the 'complaint' reads this, they might get a few pointers!!!
June 20, 2007 12:51:38 pm
I agree with most everyone. My point is that if he did, indeed harass these women, then I don't care who he is--he should be fired. It would be interesting to know what kind of investigating the Civil Service Board did to determine that he was suitable to go back to work and earned the right to wear a badge again. Maybe with the appeal, if there wasn't much of an investigation, then now there will be. I will be the first to say that if the accusations are proven to be false then the women deserve to lose their jobs.
Not meaning to offend or open a can of worms but it is interesting to me that there is only one female on the civil service board...
June 20, 2007 1:57:06 pm
The Civil Service Board didn't do any investigating. They took the evidence that Singleton had and then had a meeting with Pete and his attorney and a few others and got "his side of the story" and made their decision. I don't know if they let the women testify in it or not. I hope one of them decides to press charges or something.
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