Davis Settles Lawsuit With Township

Retired Springfield police Captain Pete Davis's lawsuit against Springfield has been settled.

Davis filed a legal complaint against Springfield in Superior Court in November of 2010 claiming he was denied promotion as retaliation for testifying in court against the township, an allegation township officials have denied.

The case was settled for $30,000. According to the settlement agreement, the money will pay for Davis’ attorney’s fees. Davis’ attorney Mark Mulick said the money would be divided between himself and Davis.

Mulick said that the suit accomplished its purpose. The action was undertaken, Mulick said, to show that Davis was retaliated against for legal actions against the former chief. He said that point was made.

“This case was not about money,” Mulick said. “[Davis] has had other lawsuits where he’s received money. This is about a point of retaliation by Springfield.”

The township does not admit any fault in the claim. This settlement says the amount is the compromise of a doubtful and disputed claim, and that the payment is not an admission of liability.

As the highest-ranking officer and only captain on the Springfield police force, Davis led the department following the retirement of unpopular police chief William Chisholm in 2009. Though and credited with enacting many positive changes in the department, Davis was not named acting chief.

Frustrated with not receiving the title after a of the Township Committee, during a township committee meeting.

Davis and his attorney alleged the Committee did not promote him because he testified on behalf of former Springfield police officer Walter Brooks in Brooks' suit against Chisholm and the police department. Brooks, the only African American member of the department, accused Chisholm of treating him in a racist and unfair manner. 

Davis also joined Brooks in a Lawsuit Against Discrimination case against the township in retaliation for alleged unfair treatment by Chisholm. The Township did not admit to the allegations, but paid Davis $100,000 in March 2010 (court documents from the suit are available online here via the Libertarian Party Open Government Advocacy Project).

The newly settled complaint specifically named Mayor Ziad Shehady, identifying him as the leader of the opposition to Davis' promotion to Chief.

In past comments, officials have denied the LAD case played a part in Davis' promotion or lack thereof; some officials contended that Davis acted hastily when he resigned, as the committee had not yet made a formal decision.

Following his June 23 retirement and resignation announcement, the of Springfield's police department after Davis. He later before retiring in September.

With the settlement reached, Mulick said matters between Davis and Springfield were "over and done with."

Editor's Note: Davis is represented by Attorney Mark Mulick. Mulick's wife is Patch.com's Essex County Regional Editor Liz Moore. I have met Moore once and did not discuss the case. I communicated exclusively with Mulick on this matter.