Gregory Stroud

Share OLD LYME -- On March 19 an Old Lyme EMT quit rather face an investigation for allegations that he verbally and physically harassed a 19-year-old woman.

OLD LYME – For just over an hour the Board of Selectmen walked their way through an uncontroversial agenda of small-town business, unopposed appointments, an update from the Affordable Housing Commission, delinquent car tax collections, the sale of a small boat by the town’s fire department… As usual, the meeting ended with a general discussion. Jude Read, the Republican selectwoman, made two motions. First for the release of documents related to the suspension of Eric Knapp, the town’s land use coordinator. And second, for documents related to allegations of sexual harassment by a town EMT in March. For 10 tense minutes, Martha Shoemaker and Jim Lampos — the Democratic selectmen — and Read debated the merits. Read, who said she had been kept in the dark about both matters, pressed for transparency, safety and the public’s right to know. Jim Lampos leaned heavily into not interfering with a State Police investigation – in the case of sexual harassment – and protecting members of the community from public ridicule, in the matter of Eric Knapp. Shoemaker offered assurances that the accused, in the sexual harassment case, had been dealt with immediately, and no longer worked for the town. In two votes, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously for a compromise, releasing redacted public documents in the case of Knapp, and voted down, 2 to 1, Read’s motion to release public documents related to the case of sexual harassment. After the meeting adjourned, CT Examiner approached the board to clarify whether they were acting on the instructions of the Connecticut State Police when they withheld public documents and redacted the name of the accused from the handful of documents they had released. “Can I ask you guys a question? Have you asked state police what information you could release or have State Police asked you to withhold information?” Lampos pitched the question over to Shoemaker. “I haven’t talked to the State Police personally,” said Lampos. “I’m going to leave that to Martha.” CT Examiner then posed the question to Martha. The exchange below is lightly edited for length and clarity. “Did state police request that you withhold the name?” “Yeah, at that time,” said Shoemaker. “So, State Police asked you to withhold that name?” “They said they were in the midst of an investigation and not to release any information,” replied Shoemaker. “Did they write that? Was that in writing?” “No.” “We take it very seriously to the point where I don’t want to say anything that’s going to prejudice it,” said Lampos. “Have you asked town counsel what you can release or cannot release?” “Yes, of course,” said Shoemaker. Following up on Tuesday, in an email exchange with Connecticut State Police, the State Trooper involved in the investigation categorically denied asking the town to withhold documents pending the close of the investigation. Asked whether investigators had advised the town “not to release information or documents, or the accused’s name until the CSP investigation concludes,” as claimed repeatedly by Shoemaker, a spokesperson for the State Police replied: “The case still remains active and ongoing, however we did make contact with TFC O’Connell this morning as requested. TFC O’Connell advised that he did not give any such instruction as you’ve mentioned here.”

Share Let me tell you a secret. Back in March 2021, I got a phone call from Sara Bronin asking me not to run a story on her organization's failure to register and report its lobbying activities.

Share In a closed door meeting convened last week with the town's four elected land use chairs – Zoning, Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning

Share OLD SAYBROOK – Parking, pile-driving and triaxle trucks. Amtrak and an assortment of contractors and project heads made no effort to sugarcoat the inevitable nuisance to locals of constructing a new ...

Haven’t subscribed yet? Click here to register. CT Examiner is just $20 a year. And if you want to unsubscribe? That’s online and at the click of a button. No […]

They say the human brain doesn’t fully develop until the age of 25, but that’s no excuse for the married, middle-aged men caught misbehaving on video and in texts in […]

Haven’t subscribed yet? Click here to register. CT Examiner is just $20 a year. And if you want to unsubscribe? That’s online and at the click of a button. No […]

Haven’t subscribed yet? Click here to register. CT Examiner is just $20 a year. And if you want to unsubscribe? That’s online and at the click of a button. No […]

There are 169 towns in Connecticut, loveable, hate-able, distinct. An archipelago.