Twp. Investigation: Administration Did Not Discriminate Against Officer

Township-initiated investigations have cleared  and its Police Department of discrimination regarding Lower Merion Police Officer Kerry Godbold, specifically, and more broadly, the Police Department’s hiring and promotion practices, Board of Commissioners President Liz Rogan said during a commission meeting on Wednesday night.

Lower Merion Township hired a private attorney to investigate Godbold’s accusation that he was discriminated against when he was not promoted to the rank of sergeant, Rogan said.

Godbold is African-American. He and representatives from the NAACP have repeatedly stated that no black police officer has ever reached the rank of sergeant in the LMPD.

The private attorney found that the township “did not discriminate in anyway” by expiring the Civil Service promotion list and not filling the vacancy for sergeant, Rogan said.

The attorney sat down with Godbold after the findings were made to address any questions he had, Rogan said.

Not Over

A lawsuit may be coming regardless. On Wednesday, NAACP Pennsylvania state conference president J. Whyatt Mondesire, at an arranged press conference, and that he expects, after the commission has conducted an investigation, that they will provide Godbold with a “Right to Sue” letter.

In a related issue, the private investigation firm which the township hired in July to probe allegations of discrimination, regarding hiring and promotion practices within the Lower Merion Police Department, has issued a report on its investigation, which will be available on the township website later this week, Rogan said.

Rogan said the report found there was “no evidence of discrimination at any stage.”

“The township believes that this report fully disputes the allegations,” Rogan said.

Cop Cleared of Wrongdoing

In another matter, the township conducted its own internal investigation into  Robert Montgomery, accusing him of vandalizing her home, Rogan said.

Rogan said the township’s internal investigation found “there is no evidence to support that conclusion” and the township views the matter as closed.

The allegations were made by Kamal Kamara on behalf of his mother, Carolyn Kamara, of 1424 Greywall Lane in Penn Wynne, at a board meeting in June.

The next day, Lower Merion Police Sgt. Gavin Goschinski, president of the Lower Merion Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 28, him at a public meeting.”