South Kingstown sergeant alleges sexual harassment and gunpoint threat by former lieutenant
A South Kingstown police sergeant is suing the town, alleging that after he complained about a superior officer's sexual harassment of a new dispatcher, that officer threatened him and held a gun to his head.
Sgt. Michael Bronson has sued the Town of South Kingstown, alleging he was discriminated against and harassed in violation of the Rhode Island Whistleblowers' Protection Act over his reports about then-Lt. Scott Orton’s “highly inappropriate and sexually harassing behavior with a newly hired female dispatcher.”
In addition to the town, Bronson names as defendants former Town Manager Robert C. Zarnetske, Director of Administration Aimee Reiner and others not named.
Bronson, who started with the force in 2007, is seeking unspecified damages for the town’s “unlawful and discriminatory employment practices” in the lawsuit that was transferred this week to U.S. District Court in Providence.
Mark T. Reynolds, the lawyer representing the town, declined comment Thursday. Interim Town Manager Theresa Murphy did not respond to a phone call placed to Town Hall.
According to Bronson’s complaint, he alerted then-Capt. Alfred Bucco in January 2019 about concerns he had about the treatment of the female dispatcher by his direct supervisor, Orton. Bucco, he said, failed to investigate the claims and instead informed Orton about Bronson’s report — a step Bronson alleged was an attempt to intimidate him and cultivate a hostile work environment.
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Bronson accused Orton of then committing felony assault by pointing a loaded handgun at his head while stating “I should kick your ass” during roll call at the department as fellow officers watched.
A few weeks later, Orton gave Bronson a poor performance rating on his annual evaluation, remarking “Sgt. Bronson needs to follow the chain of command.”
Bronson later applied for a traffic sergeant position that he says he was denied based on false information provided by Orton.
According to Bronson, Bucco and Orton continually disparaged him to other command staff, while the town and the department itself did nothing to address Orton’s conduct.
Bronson said he reported Orton’s alleged assault and the sexual harassment to Lt. Montafix Houghton and an internal investigation was launched. Orton was placed on administrative leave while it was under way, but positioned himself behind Bronson on his first day back, pantomiming with his hand that he was shooting him, the suit said.
Bronson said he began experiencing anxiety, depression and panic attacks that necessitated his taking a four-week stress leave at the advice of his doctor. He accuses the town of wrongfully denying him injured-on-duty status, instead requiring him to deplete his sick time.
He alleges, too, that Bucco and then-Chief Joseph Geaber altered his performance evaluation in 2020 to include derogatory statements.
“SKPD has a long history of applying its policies and procedures in an inequitable, arbitrary and capricious manner amongst its employees, promoting either harassment or favoritism of certain individuals,” wrote Bronson’s lawyer, Judah H. Rome.
Bronson charges that the town violated his rights and engaged in unlawful discrimination and negligent infliction of emotional distress by failing in its duty to protect him from harassment and discrimination by Bucco and Orton.
Orton filed retirement papers with the state in January 2020, the same week the South Kingstown Town Council revealed it had received demand letters from Bronson and dispatcher Deanna Marler threatening to sue over his behavior.
Marler’s lawyer, V. Edward Formisano, wrote in a demand letter to the town that Orton began sexually harassing her in February 2019 by engaging in severe and pervasive “inappropriate conduct.”
Marler accused Orton of retaliating against her when she tried to speak up, yelling at her, telling her she was lucky to have her job and making disparaging comments, the letter said.
It is not clear how the town resolved the claims brought by Marler, who was hired as a part-time dispatcher in July 2018 and started full time in February 2019.
Bronson, also represented by Formisano at the time, also filed a letter with the town. His allegations included his complaint that Orton pointed a gun at his head and threatened him in January 2019. Bronson accused Orton of denying him the traffic sergeant position, which would have meant 10 to 20 hours of overtime a week.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: South Kingstown police sexual harassment and threats alleged in lawsuit
