people & places

12 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, June 17, 2022 PEOPLE PLACES&

Westborough Troop 100 honors three new Eagle Scouts

WESTBOROUGH - Three scouts from Westborough’s Troop 100 Boy Scouts were awarded the Eagle Scout rank at the Congregational Church of Westborough on May 28.

The three new Eagle Scouts are University of Rhode Island rising sophomore Logan James, College of the Holy Cross incoming freshman Liam Johnson and Stonehill College incoming freshman Connor McLeod.

The Eagle Scout rank is the highest advancement for Boy Scouts, with only about 4% of Scouts achieving this milestone.

“It requires a strong personal commitment, a lot of hard work, and the encouragement and support of family and friends,” a press release noted.

To become an Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts must complete a

Left to right Connor McLeod, Logan James, Scoutmaster Eric French, Senior Patrol Leader Sam French and Liam Johnson recite the Scout Oath. Westborough Police Chief Jeffrey Lourie and Deputy Chief Todd Minardi present scouts with challenge coins at their Eagle Court of Honor.

service project that benefits their community.

James’ Eagle Scout project saw him leading a volunteer team to improve part of the Westborough Charm Bracelet trail. He and the team worked with the Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT) to replace bridges on the Fox Hill trail with ones that have been treated with more ecologically sensitive preservatives.

Johnson worked with volunteers to build a gazebo on Lake Chauncy’s shores as a memorial for those who lived at the Westborough State Hospital and the Lyman School for Boys.

Johnson also collaborated with local historians to create informational plaques commemorating the Westborough State Hospital’s historic use of its land.

McLeod worked with the WCLT, volunteers and other Scouts to replace bog bridges on the Charm Bracelet to make sections of the trail that are damp more accessible.

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Paulhus out as Southborough Police Chief

Police Chief | from page 1

The town agreed to issue Paulhus an identification card pursuant to the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 upon request, which allows qualified, including retired or separated, law enforcement officers to carry a concealed firearm.

Lieutenant Ryan Newell is now serving as Southborough’s acting police chief.

Town considered investigation into unidentified individual

Paulhus took the chief position in Feb. 2014.

News that Paulhus was placed on leave was then first reported by MySouthborough in early March.

That came after an emergency executive session in February “to discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline of, or complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff member or individual.”

The name of the individual at the center of that meeting has not been released. But the meeting was attended by the Select Board, Town Administrator Mark Purple, Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff and Paulhus.

The town has since released redacted minutes from that and other executive sessions.

During the February executive session, Feodoroff said that “the allegations are specific and come from sources that can be confirmed.”

Those allegations, “if proven true, could require discipline,” according to Feodoroff’s comments, as noted in minutes.

Feodoroff said the allegations, which are not specified in this or any of the other released executive session minutes, came from multiple sources.

Feodoroff said she engaged a third party investigator, Jean Haertl.

“Mr. [Martin] Healey said that the Board is in an uncomfortable situation as well, and agrees that the [redacted] has served the Town admirably,” minutes noted.

Minutes continued, saying Healey, who was at that point a Select Board member, “also noted that the Board has a responsibility to determine if there is merit to the allegations being made.”

“Mr. Healey understands that Southborough is a bubble, and that the [redacted] not returning from leave will not go unnoticed,” minutes said.

The Select Board met in executive session several times in the subsequent months after that initial February meeting, including a meeting to discuss a “police department investigation,” according to released minutes.

In a May 5 executive session, Feodoroff told the Select Board that the investigation was completed, noting, in part, that “there was a consensus that cause existed for ending the relationship with [redacted].”

Haertl reported that there were interviews with 16 employees, including two females and several protected classes.

“In summary, she felt that supervisors need immediate training,” the minutes read, describing Haertl’s comments. “She further clarified that no supervisors but one knew of the [redacted] conduct. Part of the required training will be to explain to supervisors what their liability is (train on reporting incidents, update policy, develop a separate and distinct town-wide policy on discrimination harassment.)”

“It is important to re-issue policies that have non-intentional discriminatory intent,” minutes continued.

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PHOTO/VIA SOUTHBOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT Kenneth Paulhus had served as Southborough’s Police Chief since 2014.

Select Board reacts

During the May 5 meeting, Select Board members reacted, with some voicing support of a settlement, as noted in minutes.

Chelsea Malinowski said she was “taken aback” by an initial settlement proposal from the person who was being investigated, however.

The person had asked to be carried on the roster through Sept. 12, 2022, to be paid through the rest of their contract through June 30, 2023, to use accrued leave and not to “contest” an ID card to carry a weapon, according to minutes.

Malinowski said she felt it was “detrimental to keep him on the rolls,” saying she was “not comfortable paying the balance of his contract.”

“Ms. [Lisa] Braccio did not anticipate this case and emphasized the Town must protect present employees who feel uncomfortable within the workplace,” minutes said.

Ultimately, the Select Board voted to delegate authority to Purple to execute a final agreement on behalf of the Select Board.