THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 1996 TAG: 9609260311
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: JEFFREY S. HAMPTON, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 53 lines
A fired police officer got her job back Wednesday after negotiations among lawyers, witnesses and the chief of police.
``The personnel grievance filed by Robin Vanscoy has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties,'' the city manager said in a release.
The termination was reduced to a written reprimand, the release said.
Officials would not release the reprimand, and Vanscoy would not speak as part of the agreement.
Police Chief Herman L. Bunch Jr. fired Vanscoy on June 27, allegedly that she used excessively vulgar language. Vanscoy maintained that her language was no worse than that of other police officers. She said in August the firing was in retaliation for her threat to expose sexual harassment by a senior officer.
Vanscoy, represented by Randy Brewington of the Police Benevolent Association and PBA attorney Mike McGuiness, was set for a public hearing before the Elizabeth City Personnel Appeals Committee at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
``I just hope the truth comes out,'' she said before the hearing was to begin.
Then, attorneys for both sides gathered Vanscoy and Bunch and slipped into a room down the hall from the council chambers. The committee and a dozen police officers subpoenaed as witnesses waited more than an hour while Vanscoy's group negotiated with attorney Patricia Holland. Holland, from a Raleigh law firm, represented Elizabeth City on behalf of city attorney John H. ``Skipper'' Hall Jr.
The committee and witnesses adjourned and reconvened at noon and again at 2 p.m., each time hoping to begin the hearing. Meanwhile, lawyers continued to hammer out a settlement that would avert a public airing of Vanscoy's accusations. Shortly after 2 p.m., Committee Chairman Edward ``Eddie'' O'Neal met briefly with the negotiators and returned to announce that a settlement had been reached and would be announced later. City Manager Steven Harrell released the statement at 5 p.m.
Bunch resigned as chief last week, saying he had accepted a position with a private corporation. His last day is Nov. 12. Vanscoy will resume her duties as an officer the day after he leaves.
Though Bunch could not be reached Wednesday evening, he said last week that his departure has nothing to do with the Vanscoy case or with the controversy over bad morale in the police department.
Several officers resigned in May and June, causing a manpower shortage and sparking an investigation into the management of the department. Harrell recently finished interviewing 22 officers and found that most of the morale problems stemmed from long hours and low pay.
``There was also some concern about the way past promotions had been handled and about changes in the requirements for promotion,'' Harrell said.
Vanscoy, McGuiness and Brewington would not comment on whether Vanscoy will receive back wages. Vanscoy earned approximately $1,700 a month. There will be a six-month probationary period after she begins work. by CNB