Sexual Harassment Claims Led To Wayland Chief's Resignation: Inquiry

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland Police Chief Sean Gibbons agreed to resign recently following allegations of sexual harassment made against him by two department employees earlier this year, according to documents released Monday by the town.

The 31-page report compiled by the law firm Clifford and Kenney released Monday said that Gibbons was initially placed on leave when an unnamed police department employee stepped forward to tell top town officials about a sexual encounter with Gibbons 19 years ago. The employee also said she felt Gibbons has singled her out for harsher treatment ever since.

Gibbons joined Wayland police in 2002, and was promoted to become the new chief in December 2021. He has been on paid administrative leave since allegations surfaced on March 31.

The woman told town leaders in March she experienced an unwanted sexual encounter with Gibbons in 2003 after they got drinks together at a Billerica bar. The employee said the pair had sex at his home, but she may have been too intoxicated to realize what was happening. She was a department trainee at the time of the encounter, according to the report.

"Looking at the power dynamic, yes, that is an assault, but at the same time, I just feel like I didn't push him off me, I didn't say no," she told investigators.

Gibbons released a statement Monday through his attorney, questioning the timing of the complaints against him — which he said had never surfaced when he was promoted to other positions within the department. Gibbons admitted having sex with coworkers in the statement, but said he believed the complaints against him were linked to the hiring of a new lieutenant from outside Wayland.

"I believe that it was no coincidence that the allegations against me were made shortly after some of the complainants were not chosen for promotion," he said.

"I want to make it clear that I take full responsibility for exercising profoundly poor judgment by having consensual sexual relations with two of my coworkers on two separate occasions — 19 and 12 years ago," the statement continued. "These transgressions occurred during a very difficult time in my personal life, including an acrimonious divorce, and off-duty alcohol abuse."

A second incident occurred in 2010 when Gibbons and a department employee attended a Massachusetts Police Association conference in Springfield. After drinking at a Hooters restaurant, the employee said Gibbons followed her back to her hotel room, which led to sex. The woman told investigators she tried to push him away, and that they did not discuss consent.

The unnamed employee said Gibbons resurfaced the encounter in December 2021 at his swearing in ceremony, according to a report. She was sitting at a table at the Lavender restaurant in Sudbury after the ceremony when Gibbons approached and asked if she wanted a "Bomb Pop" drink, a reference to their experience at Hooters in Springfield in 2010. Gibbons denied the allegation during an interview with investigators.

The investigation also found "sufficient credible evidence" of other inappropriate behavior by Gibbons: operating a vehicle while intoxicated on at least two occasions in 2003 and 2010; and referring to an intern with an Irish surname as "a nice Jewish boy," according to the investigation.

The town also released the resignation agreement reached with Gibbons after Thanksgiving. He will remain on paid administrative leave through Dec. 20, and will receive nearly $400,000 from the town over the next two years. That includes more than $36,000 for vacation time, plus two $179,000 payments that will be made in January 2023 and January 2024.

Gibbons has been on paid leave since April, and town officials had previously declined to say why the leave occurred.

"We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously. We do not tolerate violations of our policies," Select Board Vice Chair Dave Watkins said in a news release.

The investigation into Gibbons will also be shared with the state Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST), which provides certification for police officers in the state.

Read previous coverage:

• Wayland Police Chief Resigning, Town To Release Investigation
• Wayland Releases Documents Related To Chief's Sudden Departure
• State Orders Wayland To Hand Over Records Related To Chief's Departure
• Wayland Has New Police Chief After Yearlong Search