WAYLAND, MASS. (WHDH) - On-leave Wayland Police Chief Sean Gibbons will be paid over $350,000 over the next two years to cover the rest of his contract amid a misconduct investigation.
The chief, who has been on leave since March and plans to resign later this month, is accused of violating department policy by engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship in 2003, and another sexual encounter in 2010. It was unclear whether it had been with the same person.
In the report, the town said the victim “did not consent to their sexual contact…was under the influence of alcohol and believes Chief Gibbons had ‘groomed’… and taken advantage of his position of power.” The victim also told investigators they only came forward when Gibbons referenced his encounter with them at a swearing-in party.
“Chief Gibbons yelled at…and subjected [the victim] to a higher level of scrutiny…after they had sexual intercourse,” the report said.
The report also said Gibbons harassed a department intern in December 2021, and that Gibbons had admitted to driving while drunk twice.
In a lengthy statement, Gibbons said he was disappointed to be leaving the department, saying that during the process of being promoted through the department over the last 20 years, “there were no allegation(s) brought forward by the current complainants.”
He added that he believed it was “no coincidence that the allegations against (him) were made shortly after some of the complainants were not chosen for promotion,” claiming that the complaints were “suddenly raised after the Town chose an outside candidate for the position of Lieutenant.”
“I want to make it clear that I take full responsibility for exercising profoundly poor judgment by having consensual sexual relations with two of my co-workers on two separate occasions – 19 and 12 years ago,” Gibbons said in his statement. “These transgressions occurred during a very difficult time in my personal life, including an acrimonious divorce, and off-duty alcohol abuse. I am not proud of the person I was then, It should be noted that during the investigation I was forthright and candid. I described the unvarnished truth to the best of my memory.”
Gibbons said that he was a patrol officer and sergeant at the time of the incidents in 2003 and 2010, respectively.
The town said the case is not over and that it will look into how Gibbons was repeatedly promoted, its process for reporting sexual harassments, and its contract practices.
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