West Tisbury police Sgt. Jeremie Rogers is facing a three-day unpaid suspension after the select board found him responsible for two conduct violations connected to an email he sent to the town accountant, which contained an expletive. 

The select board discussed the matter in two separate executive sessions in June. The town released investigative reports on Sergeant Rogers’ conduct, and a separate report on Lieut. Matt Gebo’s conduct related to the incident, to the Gazette on Wednesday.

Sergeant Rogers is currently appealing the decision. 

Town accountant Chelsea Joiner filed a complaint against Sergeant Rogers in February, citing an email he sent her in regards to a payroll issue. In the first sentence of the email, Sergeant Rogers asks about tax forms Ms. Joiner attached in a previous correspondence. 

“What exactly are these forms for?” he wrote in the email. In the second sentence, he wrote “you got to get...out,” using an expletive in the middle.

Sergeant Rogers sent an apology email shortly after, claiming that in the second sentence, voice-to-text picked up the expletive which was intended for “someone standing close by,” according to the email.

Following the incident, Sergeant Rogers told West Tisbury police chief Bradley Cortez that he was doing voice-to-text while driving, according to the investigative report. The expletive came about when a car swerved into Sergeant Rogers’ lane, and Sergeant Rogers yelled at the car, he said in an interview, according to the report. The entire sentence was “you got to get...out of my lane,” according to the interview. 

In the same interview, Sergeant Rogers said he is not sure how the email was sent automatically. 

The investigation found that Sergeant Rogers’ email contained an offensive and discourteous comment, and that his apology email shortly after contained an inaccurate or untruthful statement. According to the investigative report, Sergeant Rogers’ explanation was “false, inaccurate, misleading and deceptive,” because it claimed the statement with the expletive was intended for someone close by rather than a car swerving into his lane. 

On Wednesday, June 24, the select board found Sergeant Rogers was responsible for both violations. An attorney representing Mr. Rogers did not immediately respond to a request for comment this week.

Lieutenant Gebo also faced potential discipline regarding his investigation into Sergeant Rogers behavior. 

After Ms. Joiner filed the complaint in February, Chief Cortez asked Lieutenant Gebo to conduct an investigation into the matter. Lieutenant Gebo’s report to Chief Cortez was a one-paragraph description of the events that occurred, and deemed that no further action was necessary because Sergeant Rogers apologized to Ms. Joiner and had no previous history of inappropriate use of words. 

Chief Cortez found Lieutenant Gebo’s investigation to be “inadequate in substance and presentation,” according to an outside investigation into the matter. 

Lieutenant Gebo’s investigation was undated, unprofessional, void of several material facts and relevant materials, according to the investigative report. It was also not in compliance with the department’s policy and “basic professional standards.” 

Lieutenant Gebo was found not responsible for three violations, including conduct unbecoming an officer, incompetence and for violating department policy on internal affairs. 

In February, Lieutenant Gebo filed a lawsuit against the town and the former police chief, claiming he was passed over for the chief position because of his union activities and because he would not accept a quid pro quo agreement. The 16-year veteran of the department is asking a judge to award an estimated $2.7 million in damages for lost wages, benefits, pension value and emotional distress. 

On Wednesday, the select board approved Sergeant Rogers’ request to proceed directly to arbitration in the process appealing his discipline, avoiding another grievance hearing litigating the matter in front of the select board.