Spring City cop believes he was wrongly terminated

For someone who only worked at the Spring City Police Department for a year, Officer Jamal Lewis made a big impression.

"As soon as he started with the borough, he made an immediate impact […] he was highly visible, approachable, professional, and took great pride in his job," said Norman Castor, who resigned his seat on the Spring City Borough Council on March 7.

Castor called Lewis "truly one of the best officers the borough had" in an e-mail message to Patch.

Councilman Michael Hays agreed.

"I have nothing but good things to say about the guy. The residents liked him. I'd shake his hand when I ran into him on the street [on patrol]. He was always pleasant," Hays said via telephone Wednesday.

[Editor's note: Michael Hays has contributed articles on high school sports to Patch.]

Lewis, 32, agrees that many borough residents felt like they knew him.

"The people in Spring City didn't call me Officer Lewis, they called me Jamal," Lewis said via telephone on Tuesday.

"Being a police officer is all I ever wanted to be," Lewis said.

Lewis is not a police officer right now.  His resignation from his part-time position on the Spring City force was announced during the police committee report at the March 7 borough council meeting.

"I think they [the borough council] think I resigned, and that's it…I resigned," Lewis said.

Not a resignation

Lewis says he was actually fired by Spring City police chief Deidre Sherman on February 22.  He said he doesn't know why. 

"I didn't see this on the wall. I'm dumbfounded by all of this," Lewis said.

According to Lewis, he made a routine court appearance on a traffic violation case that morning, then reported to headquarters at Sherman's request. Upon his arrival, Sherman handed him his termination letter. 

Lewis said he wasn't given a chance to defend himself, an opportunity to which he said he was entitled by standard procedure.

"We're supposed to be given a copy of the complaint in writing," Lewis said. "Then the officer is brought in for questioning, then witnesses are interviewed, and a fact-finding procedure takes place." 

According to Lewis's termination letter, a copy of which was obtained by Patch, Lewis was fired for violations of the Spring City Police Manual, specifically "Conduct Unbecoming an Officer" and "Failure to comply with Chief's orders."  An unnamed section of Chapter 13 of the police manual, entitled "Conduct," was also cited.

The body of the letter, which is signed by Sherman, describes a conversation between Sherman and borough resident Keisha Mennefee.

"On February 21, 2011 at 0953 hours, I received a phone call from Keisha Mennefee, bringing to my attention a concern she had about an extra-marital affair she was involved in with a Spring City Police Officer.  The contents of the conversation included you being specifically named as the officer in question," Sherman wrote.

The letter, a full transcript of which is available , went on to say that Mennefee feared the relationship becoming public.  It also said that Sherman had "independent confirmation" of the affair from "multiple witnesses," and that Sherman had previously advised Lewis that it was "in [his] best interest to sever [his] ties with [Mennefee] in order to avoid any appearance of impropriety."

"Your employment with Spring City Police Department is hereby terminated, effective immediately," the letter concludes.

Lewis said that he and Sherman once had an off-duty conversation about Mennefee, and that he was not ordered to avoid contact with her.

Mennefee: No complaint, no affair

Both Lewis and Mennefee said that they did not have an extramarital affair.

"I had no extramarital affair with Keisha Mennefee, period," Lewis said.

"Our relationship was entirely platonic," Mennefee said via telephone on Tuesday, adding that she did not file a complaint about Lewis with Sherman.

Mennefee, a novelist, said she had been friends with Sherman since last fall.  She said she met Sherman through Lewis, who told Mennefee that Sherman was also interested in writing.

Mennefee said she met Lewis when she asked Lewis if she could interview him for character research for a new novel.

"I met Chief Sherman in October and we instantly formed a bond, particularly for our mutual interest in writing," Mennefee wrote in a 1,800 word letter to Spring City mayor Michael Weiss on March 2 after learning of Lewis's termination.  Weiss oversees the borough's police department.

Calling herself a "scapegoat to handle whatever internal matters may have existed" at the police department, Mennefee disputes the termination letter's account of her February 21 telephone conversation with Sherman.

Mennefee's letter to Weiss said her conversation with Sherman did take place at about 9:53am on February 21, but that she called Sherman to discuss writing.

"After exchanging pleasantries and inquiring about Chief Sherman's well being, she shared with me details about her personal life," Mennefee wrote.

Mennefee said the Chief asked to call her back and the call resumed at 10:41am.

"At this time I brought up that due to an awkward period several months ago when Mr. Lewis and I had a disagreement, I did not speak to her [Sherman] because I was under the impression that she did not particularly care for me," Mennefee wrote.

"Chief Sherman replied to my comment informing me that just like she told Mr. Lewis when we had our disagreement that he and I are both adults. She then said she told him 'not to [expletive] where he eats' and he knew better than to 'fool around' with anyone in the jurisdiction where he worked when he is a married man," Mennefee wrote.

Mennefee said she told Sherman "I never had sexual relations with him as was implied [by Sherman]."

"[Sherman] told me that Mr. Lewis painted this picture around the department that I was pursuing him and he was in a good, positive place with his marriage. [Sherman] said she did not want to see me hurt and thought I deserved to know. This news shocked me [...] I told Chief Sherman I was shaken up and felt deceived by someone I considered a friend, but never did I claim to have an extramarital affair with Mr. Lewis," Mennefee wrote.

Mennefee said Sherman told her on the morning of February 22 that she intended to fire Lewis.

"Chief Sherman then said his termination is based on some other things that have been brought to her attention and not because of any conversations she had about me. She said I will be pleased that I no longer would have to deal with Mr. Lewis around the borough anymore," Mennefee wrote to Weiss.

Mennefee asked Weiss to "clear this matter immediately" and to destroy "any fictitious reports made on [Mennefee's] behalf," including "false accusations of having an affair with any current or former police officers within your organization."

Mennefee said that Weiss has not responded to her letter. Reached via telephone Thursday evening, Weiss declined to comment for this article.

Lewis called his relationship with Mennefee "a strained friendship." Asked whether there was any flirtation, Lewis said there was not.

"It never crossed a line," Lewis said.

Chief Sherman: Lewis resigned

Sherman said Wednesday that Lewis resigned.

"It's a personnel matter, and we don't comment on personnel matters," Sherman said in a brief interview at the department headquarters.

"He resigned," Sherman said when asked whether Lewis resigned or was terminated.  Asked whether Lewis had tendered a letter of resignation, Sherman repeated that Lewis had resigned.  She declined further comment on the matter.

Lewis: I'm proud of my time in Spring City

Lewis says he remains grateful to Sherman, who he says gave him an opportunity.

"I had an affinity with this woman [Sherman]," Lewis said. "I feel [very] betrayed."

"[Sherman] told me, my wife, and my grandmother that I was like her child and I was doing a great job," Lewis said.

"I just want to sit down at the table with everyone involved and [sort this out]. Let's hear the story," Lewis said, calling himself "a problem solver."

He says is proud of his service in Spring City.

"I was a part-time officer doing full-time work, and I thought I had the backing of the [borough] council," Lewis said.

Calling his former colleagues "quality guys," he maintained that his activity log "matched or exceeded anyone else in the department."

"I'm hurt right now," Lewis said.

Lewis, who said he has spoken with legal counsel about the situation, described himself as "struggling" as he looks for employment elsewhere.

"I'm trying to secure a full-time position someplace. My goal is to get another job, period," Lewis said, adding that he needs to support his family.

He said that despite the situation, he would work in Spring City again.

"If they called me now and asked me back, I would [accept], because I love the town," Lewis said.

Count Michael Hays among those who would like to see that happen.

"He brought professionalism to the police department.  If Officer Lewis were to reapply in the future, I would strongly urge the [borough] council to consider him," Hays said.

Alyson D'Alessandro contributed reporting to this article.