Ashland Police Chief Cara Rossi, on leave, will have disciplinary hearing next month

Norman Miller, The MetroWest Daily News
·2 min read
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BOSTON — Ashland Police Chief Cara Rossi has a final hearing scheduled for next month before the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission in relation to her alleged role in a sexual assault case in Natick.

On Wednesday, during a POST pre-hearing, retired Supreme Judicial Court Justice Judith Cowin scheduled Rossi's final hearing for March 22. Rossi did not appear on Wednesday, but attorney Leah Marie Barrault did so on Rossi's behalf.

The reasons why Rossi is before the POST Commission were not detailed, other than it was in connection to a case involving former Natick police Sgt. James Quilty. He was convicted in December 2022 of sexually assaulting a former Natick Police Department dispatcher.

Ashland Police Chief Cara Rossi is shown while she was with the Natick Police Department.
Ashland Police Chief Cara Rossi is shown while she was with the Natick Police Department.

Seeks nearly $1.2M: Victim of ex-Natick police sergeant's assault files lawsuit

Rossi has been on paid administrative leave since last month. Ashland Town Manager Michael Herbert has not given a reason why.

Chief Rossi is a defendant in lawsuit related to Natick sex assault

Rossi is a named defendant in a Norfolk County Superior Court lawsuit filed by Quilty's victim. Quilty and the Natick Police Department are also defendants.

The victim alleges Rossi, then a police lieutenant in Natick at the time, aided and abetted Quilty.

The victim, in the March 24, 2023, lawsuit, said she was approached by Rossi on June 23, 2020, to discuss rumors of Quilty sexually assaulting her two months earlier.

Earlier: Ashland Police Chief Cara Rossi has POST Commission pre-hearing on Feb. 14

During that meeting, the victim claimed, Rossi told her that at points in her career she had been forced to report things about co-workers or supervisors that she said she did not want to do. Rossi allegedly told the victim she did not want that to happen to her.

"(The victim) felt intimidated and interpreted that Lt. Rossi was warning her not to make a complaint or say anything negative about Sgt. Quilty," according to the lawsuit. "The victim replied that she did not have anything to report."

The lawsuit also alleges that Rossi called the victim a "whore" at the police station and that Rossi would not cooperate in the investigation.

Natick victim will not be named during POST Commission hearing

Rossi, in her response to the lawsuit, denied all of the allegations.

At Wednesday's hearing, Barrault and prosecuting attorney Shaun Martinez agreed the victim would not be named during the hearing. They also agreed that all discovery was complete.

There will be another prehearing on March 18 prior to the March 22 final hearing.

Rossi, who was hired as Ashland police chief in May 2022, has not commented about being placed on paid administrative leave or about the POST Commission hearing.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ashland Police Chief Rossi's POST hearing scheduled for March 22