First Posted: 4/17/2014
An Exeter police officer is in a battle with the borough over the release of information related to allegations that he viewed pornography on work computers.
Suspended Sgt. Leonard Galli filed suit in Luzerne County Court on Wednesday, alleging that the borough illegally backed out of a discipline agreement, under which Galli agreed to a demotion and pay cut and the borough agreed to keep all details of his suspension confidential.
The borough maintains Galli rejected the agreement.
According to Galli and his attorney, Kimberly Borland, the borough planned to hold an investigatory interview today in which Galli would be questioned before a court reporter, and a transcript would then be open to the public and media.
A hearing is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. before Luzerne County Judge William Amesbury on Galli’s request for an injunction preventing that investigative interview and allowing Galli to return to work pursuant to the discipline agreement.
Attorneys for the borough, however, filed a response in county court this morning in which pages of documents reveal the nature and scope of the allegations against Galli. Among them:
• In 2013, Galli was observed watching “graphic pornography” on his work computer during shifts, the filing says.
• Investigation into Galli’s computer use revealed he “regularly viewed sexually explicit materials on his work computer and also made frequent visits to the website craigslist.org’s ‘casual encounter’ and ‘Male 4 Male’ sections.”
• As a result of these actions, Galli was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 5, and during his leave the parties engaged in settlement negotiations, the filing states. But it says Galli rejected a draft agreement “based, in part, on the inclusion of specific reference to his conduct, and requested material revisions.”
• In turn, the borough declined to make the revisions and decided to proceed with the investigation.
• The borough and the union “jointly agreed” that Galli would participate in an employee interview today, but “in an effort to avoid participation in the employee interview, (Galli) initiated (the lawsuit) where he inexplicably attempts to resurrect the draft agreement as a binding agreement between the parties.
The borough’s response was filed by attorney Joseph C. Rudolf, of the Philadelphia firm Dilworth Paxson.
Amesbury was assigned to preside over the motion hearing this morning after Judge Fred Pierantoni recused himself.
