Swampscott has spent $65G in Cassidy termination case

SWAMPSCOTT – The town has paid almost $65,000 in legal fees associated with the termination of former police lieutenant Peter Cassidy II.
The Daily Item filed a Freedom of Information Act to obtain the information, which the town complied with.
Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said the town paid $64,671 in legal costs over a period of almost three years.
?There were two arbitrations,” he said. “There were at least 12 hearing dates over a period approaching three years and numerous briefs.”
In late December, State Arbitrator Richard G. Higgins ruled there was just cause when selectmen terminated Cassidy from his position as a police lieutenant on April 6, 2006.
The arbitration process started immediately after Cassidy was fired by selectmen for conduct unbecoming and criminal. Cassidy served with the department for 29 years and received numerous commendations. One of the incidents mentioned at the time of his termination was an off-duty drunken driving arrest in Vermont on Jan. 13, 2006. Cassidy who pleaded guilty to those charges, said after his gastric bypass surgery he replaced his compulsive eating with alcohol but his metabolism had changed, which resulted in alcohol addiction.
Cassidy admits he made a mistake and said his arrest served as a wake-up call. He said has been clean and sober since that time. But his arrest was only one of almost a dozen incidents in Cassidy’s personnel file, which were brought up during the arbitration process by the town including three suspensions.
Cassidy pointed out during his tenure with the department he received 14 commendations and he said many of the incidents in his file should not have been there.
?I was not notified of the charges and never signed off on them,” he said.
Cassidy, who has not received his pension, said he has not made a decision on whether he would exercise his right to appeal.