Battle brewing in Marblehead

MARBLEHEAD – In the wake of the suspension of Marblehead Police Sgt. Marion Keating for filing a false police report, former Marblehead Community Charter Public School head Thomas Commeret is seeking to file a claim against the town in connection with the assault charges Keating filed against him three years ago.Selectmen have taken no action on the letter, which they received four weeks ago, and have not discussed it, according to Selectmen Chairman Jackie Belf-Becker.Commeret said he wanted to discuss the situation with town officials before he filed a complaint with the Attorney General.Selectmen voted Feb. 24 to suspend Keating, a 33-year veteran officer, for 10 days for violating the town’s sexual harassment policy, 10 days for conduct unbecoming a police officer (the alleged use of off-color language) and 30 days for falsifying a police report on the incident – 50 days in all. She has appealed the suspension to Civil Service.Commeret, who attended the Feb. 24 meeting and Wednesday evening’s meeting of the board as well, wrote to the selectmen and Town Administrator Tony Sasso Feb. 3, informing them of "my intention to file a claim against Officer Marion Keating and the Town of Marblehead for violating my civil rights."After a 2007 investigation, then-Detective Keating filed charges of assault and battery against Commeret in connection with an assault against an MCCPS student. Following a year of legal maneuvering Commeret was tried in Lynn District Court in May 2008 and found innocent. Since that time he has gone on record calling the charge "false" and contending that the incident "never happened," filing complaints against Keating with the police chief and the Essex County District Attorney.In his two-page letter Commeret said he lost his 12-year job as head of the charter school and has been unable to find a post as an educator because of "extreme prejudice and wanton disregard for my civil right to due process."He wrote, "Because Detective Keating presumed me to be guilty without properly investigating the false allegations, I now have a lifetime of legal debt as well as significant lasting damage to my reputation as an educator and a citizen."