Third officer was fired for fight, police say

University Police officer Mary Terry was terminated Tuesday for violating departmental regulations during an argument with two other officers, according to Dave Ball, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 113. Ball said the Department of Public Safety launched an investigation into the conduct of all three officers after they had a verbal disagreement about "an event and the circumstances of it." After the investigation, Ball said, the department determined that Terry had committed an infraction and cleared the other officers of any misconduct allegations. University Police Chief George Clisby declined to give further details of the incident but said it did not involve any dealings with a "customer" or community person. Ball said he and FOP official Peggy O'Malley accompanied Terry to a pre-disciplinary hearing at the beginning of October. According to the contract between the Department of Public Safety and police officers, a pre-disciplinary hearing must be held before the department can take disciplinary action against an officer. At these hearings, Clisby said, management presents a basis for disciplinary action and the officer can explain why the action should not be done. Clisby said management met its obligations at Terry's hearing. According to Ball, though, Terry and the FOP were not notified of the allegations against her at the hearing. "We asked what she was being charged with and they wouldn't tell us," he said. "I think [Clisby is] playing on semantics here." If Terry chooses, she can file a grievance through the FOP with the University's Labor Relations office. At that time, another hearing would be scheduled. "The FOP stands by all its officers," he said. "We still support Mary here." Terry was the third officer terminated by University Police in the last three weeks. Officer Thomas McDade was dismissed on October 12 and officer Antonio Serrano was dismissed a week later on October 19. The two were allegedly involved in beating incidents. All three officers were fired for incidents that occurred before Public Safety Managing Director Thomas Seamon took office on September 25. Clisby said another case is pending against an officer who also had a pre-disciplinary hearing for an incident that occurred before Seamon arrived at the University. Clisby also confirmed that the department recently put two police officers on long-term disability leave after extended absences. They will be on inactive duty for an indefinite period of time. University Police will hire additional officers to replace those recently fired or put on indefinite leave, Clisby said. The dismissed officers will have time to appeal their cases before the department hires their replacements, he added.