Lysaght Hearing Will Be

Conducted In New Haven

By Andrew Gorosko

The job termination hearing of Police Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr will be held in a hotel in New Haven, but it remains unclear whether the hearing will be open to the public.

Shontel Williams, a spokeswoman for the American Arbitration Association, said Tuesday the hearing to be presided over by arbitrator Albert Murphy will be held at the Omni Hotel at 155 Temple Street in downtown New Haven. Sessions are scheduled for 10 am to 5 pm on December 13, 17, 20 and 22.

 Attorney John Kelly, representing Chief Lysaght, said Tuesday it remains unclear if the sessions will be public. “Our position has been that we don’t have a problem with it being public,” Mr Kelly said.

Mr Kelly said he will speak to the town’s legal representatives and Mr Murphy about whether the sessions will be open to the public.

Town Attorney David Zabel has said it does not matter to him if the sessions are public or closed.

Mr Murphy said Tuesday he normally leaves it up to the parties in the case as to whether the sessions will be public or closed.

 Chief Lysaght was not available for comment. In the past, the chief has stressed his desire to have his termination hearing held in public.

Mr Murphy, an attorney, will function as a non-binding arbitrator who will issue findings of fact based on testimony presented at the hearing. The Police Commission, which is seeking to terminate the chief, will not be bound by any recommendations that Mr Murphy makes in the case. If he is terminated, the chief has appeal rights in Danbury Superior Court.

Having found that Chief Lysaght’s job performance is unacceptable, and that he has demonstrated neither the management nor leadership skills needed to run the police department, the Police Commission is seeking to fire him.

Mr Kelly has countered that the commission’s complaints against the chief amount to philosophical differences over how to run a police department, adding that the chief has become the victim of petty politics.

The commission placed the chief on administrative leave in early July until the job termination proceeding is resolved. Captain Michael Kehoe is running the police department in the chief’s absence.