Wayland Releases Documents Related To Chief's Sudden Departure

WAYLAND, MA — The longtime officer hired as the Wayland police chief late last year was placed on leave in the spring over unspecified job performance issues, newly released town records show.

Wayland this week released a tranche of records related to the departure of Sean Gibbons, who was hired in December as the new chief, but was placed on leave four months later with no explanation from town officials. The town released the documents to Wayland Patch after a more than six-month public records appeal process.

Former acting town manager Stephen Crane sent Gibbons a letter on March 31 notifying the chief he was being placed on indefinite paid leave due to an "investigation of your performance as an employee of the town of Wayland." The letter specified that the leave did not amount to a disciplinary measure — but also didn't name the performance issue.

The letter also said Gibbons was barred from town property — except school sporting events — and from having any contact with town employees.

Since March, the town has hired Pembroke attorney Jamie Kenney to investigate Gibbons' performance as chief. Lt. Ed Burman has been the acting chief since April.

On Wednesday, acting Town Manager John Bugbee declined to describe the nature of the investigation into Gibbons, citing a town policy about not commenting publicly about personnel matters. Wayland Patch reached out to Gibbons for comment via telephone, but the person who answered hung up.

Following Gibbons’ leave of absence, Wayland Patch filed requests under the state’s open records law seeking any complaints filed by either town employees or members of the public against Gibbons, plus emails between Gibbons and Crane about the leave of absence.

As part of the records release, the town turned over two previous complaints made about Gibbons. In one document from November 2014, an unidentified Wayland officer — the name is redacted in the email — accused Gibbons of "work place harassment and retaliation" over the course of about six years.

A second document, a Wayland police report from 2012, details an incident where an unidentified Wayland police officer noticed Gibbons parked in a pickup truck near the officer's home.

"[Redacted] asked Mr. Gibbons what he was doing here. Mr. Gibbons replied 'nothing.' [Redacted] then took photos of the vehicle and left. He requested that this be documented as suspicious activity," the report said.

In the report, Gibbons explained to a Wayland sergeant that he had gone to the Cochituate Road home to drop off milk, but left to avoid a confrontation with the police officer who lived there.

Gibbons has also been the subject of criticism from the unions that represent Wayland police and Wayland emergency dispatchers. In July, the New England Police Benevolent Association Local 176 led by Wayland officer Mark Wilkins sent a letter to the Select Board and other town leaders criticizing the chief.

"This letter is an expression of our 'vote of no confidence' in Sean Gibbons and his ability to function as the chief of police. We understand the severity of this decision and did not arrive at it without proper due diligence," the letter said.

The Wayland Select Board has been deliberating Gibbons' leave in executive session in recent weeks, but it's unclear if the members will release Kenney's findings. Select Board Chair Cherry Karlson declined to comment on the investigation itself, but said more information about the matter might be coming.

"We are working toward a resolution and once that is achieved, we will have further information to share publicly," she said in an email.