Burlington Police Deputy Chief Jan Wright has resigned her post following weeks of scrutiny of her inappropriate use of social media.
In a written statement Monday night, Mayor Miro Weinberger said that Wright “agreed to my request that her service to the City end at this time, for the benefit of the Department and of the City.” Her last day is February 21.
“Good local governance, including good policing, depends upon the hard and skillful work of our City team, including civility and respect for all members of our community,” the mayor’s statement says. “In this instance, a high-ranking leader in our City’s Police Department took multiple actions that damaged City relationships and eroded the public’s and my trust in her judgment beyond repair.”
Wright will remain on administrative duty until her last day and will get a severance package that’s equivalent to 22 weeks’ pay, according to her separation agreement.
The deputy chief is “resigning in good standing,” the agreement says.
In a separate statement, Interim Chief Jennifer Morrison said Wright’s social media problems had “become an impediment to how we interact with and maintain trust with important segments of the Burlington community.
“A negotiated separation is the most prudent way to move forward,” Morrison’s statement says. “The Burlington Police Department thanks Jan for over 18 years of outstanding service to the Burlington community and nearly 34 years to the profession. We wish her the best in future endeavors.”
Morrison declined to comment further: “There’s a lot I could say, but I’m going to stick to my statement for now,” she said.
Weinberger appointed Wright acting chief, but hours later he demoted her after she admitted to operating her own anonymous Facebook profile, “Lori Spicer.” The city launched an internal investigation into Wright’s social media activities, which turned up about 19 problematic posts and another online pseudonym, “Abby Sykes.”
The city released its report on January 27. In the days following, VTDigger.org and Seven Days uncovered dozens of additional comments from Wright, including posts in which she questioned the racial makeup of the majority-minority Burlington Police Commission. Those commissioners, plus city councilors and other Burlington residents, called for a fuller accounting of Wright’s online activities.
Morrison pledged to review the posts but said last week that Wright’s status with the department hadn’t changed. The interim chief had already suspended Wright for eight days, unpaid, and ordered Wright to undergo a restorative justice process with the targets of her trolling.
Wright’s separation agreement says she will receive her usual pay and benefits, and she will make regular contributions to retirement and health care until her severance and unused vacation time are paid out in full.
Wright will stay on duty until February 21 “to ensure orderly knowledge transfer within the Police Department administration,” according to Morrison.
The agreement also includes a non-disparagement clause, stipulating that neither Wright nor the city will “make any adverse comments about the other to any media or press.”
The Burlington police union issued a statement in support of Wright’s resignation. Wright’s behavior harmed morale set a poor example for officers she led, the statement said.
At Monday night’s council meeting, resident Jim Carrier called for an independent investigation into social media practices among Burlington police officers “that does not include the police, city attorney or the mayor’s office.”
Resident Trish O’Kane, too, called for a more thorough investigation and for increased civilian oversight of the police department. O’Kane, a University of Vermont media literacy professor, said she was especially troubled that Wright had, using an online pseudonym, attempted to discredit a traffic stop study by fellow UVM prof Stephanie Seguino.
Released in 2017, Seguino’s study concluded that police stop and search drivers of color more frequently than white operators. Using her Sykes profile, Wright called Seguino’s study “fake fake fake.”
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How much of the 22 weeks worth of pay are “severance” and how much are unused vacation?
A disappointing day for Burlington.
Sadly, the ongoing, overblown “social-media” controversy has taken down another good cop.
Yup, the noisy minority has won again.
The feckless mayor played right into their hands.
The mayor claims that there is a lack of public trust as result of the fake Twitter and social-media flap.
Actually not.
The public has great confidence in the police.
If they need a cop they call 911 and Burlington’s finest show up at their door ready to take a bite out of crime.
Enough already with the social media poppycock.
The acting police chief is also a fine cop but she too played into the hands of the left wing nuts.
And it can’t be said often enough: if any one of the wingnuts ever needs a cop, they call 911 and the cops are on the scene defending even those losers against crime.
The wingnuts only hate the cops until they need one.
Now that we have our scapegoat conveniently out of the way, the mayor thinks he can complete his white wash of this whole matter, especially his role in the coverup. I think he’s got the optics wrong on this one. It’s like Shumlin’s land deal. It will haunt his credibility until he’s gone. And he will be soon enough.
Oh Mr Mayor- WHAT A MESS YOU HAVE GOT US IN…..again….and again
Sadly, the ongoing, “social-media” controversy has taken down an otherwise good cop who has shown questionable judgment.
I’m guessing this all could have been avoided had Deputy Chief Wright been completely forthright from the beginning, and acknowledged her conduct, rather than waiting for others to find it.
Finally, the voices of a concerned public have been heard, and they are right to have higher expectations of our local police force.
The Mayor is right to acknowledge the lack of public trust their own actions have created.
The public must have good confidence in the police, that they will demonstrate good judgment.
It’s not an either/or proposition to expect the police to serve and protect, as their sworn duty, while also exhibiting good decision making. If you can’t do both, then you don’t belong in a uniform, regardless of those who would excuse such behavior.
Calling out their questionable behavior in no way suggests those who have expressed their concerns “hate the cops until they need one”. That sentiment is pure hogwash that only a knucklehead would proffer.
Once again when will Seven Days ask the members of the City Council, Police Commission and the Police Oversight Comm if any of them have had a fake media profile?
The mayor is right about the loss of trust. But the loss of trust runs all the way to himself.
A system of government in which the police use false identities to threaten, humiliate, intimidate, or silence those citizens who speak up to criticize the government is a system in violation of First Amendment rights.
Del Pozo used a false name to hide his identity as a government official while posting to chill the speech of citizen campaigner, Charles Winkleman.
City officials, including the mayor, collaborated for several months in concealing del Pozo’s acts.
Wright also posted under false names to chill the critical speech of citizens.
City officials conducted an internal “investigation” of Wright’s acts.
Searches by Seven Days and VTDigger reporters showed that the internal “investigation” concealed
more than it revealed.
In view of the record of concealment and flawed internal investigation, the public can have no confidence that the extent of the wrongdoing has been revealed.
An independent and impartial investigation is needed.
The mini-drama is over. Move the hell on.
2 down, 1 to go. Time to say goodbye, Miro.
I would be curious to know how many people bashing her on this comment section are also using fake names on their facebook, in media outlets such as this and the online site seeclickfix.
Steve Godkind should not be speaking of Whitewash and cover ups.