EAST LONGMEADOW — An attorney for a suspended East Longmeadow police officer has indicated a lawsuit is possible, arguing the patrolman was penalized after exposing inflated salaries.
Officer Alex J. Serra was placed on paid leave for the town after sounding an alarm to state law enforcement watchdogs about two sergeants who erroneously received extra educational pay without having the required degrees.
That is according to a letter to Town Manager Thomas D. Christensen from Serra’s attorney, Timothy M. Burke.
The town conducted a probe into the allegations, concluding the town had overpaid Sgts. Michael Ingalls and Michael Sousa by more than $100,000 in all. Serra reported that at least one of them had “bragged” about getting the extra pay and that Chief Mark A. Williams appeared to be slow to act.
Williams admitted to an investigator he “should have investigated the matter sooner,” according to a report.
Burke, Serra’s attorney, said his client was branded “a rat,” then ostracized and retaliated against by the department.
In one instance, a coworker wrote “RAT” on the side of Serra’s cruiser, according to photos provided by Burke. Some colleagues began spreading false rumors that Serra had been abusing prescription drugs, the letter continued, and were openly hostile toward him.
“When will it stop, who will stop it and where do we draw the line?” Serra asked in a complaint to Williams, the letter reads.
It is unclear when Serra was placed on leave, but Burke said it had...
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