A Biddeford city councilor’s motion to suspend the city’s police chief and deputy chief while allegations of sexual abuse by a former member of the police department are being investigated was ruled out of order by the mayor Tuesday night.

Councilor Roger Hurtubise made a motion during a regular meeting of the council to suspend Chief Roger Beaupre and Deputy Chief JoAnne Fisk pending the outcome of an investigation by the Maine Attorney General’s Office into sexual abuse allegations against former Biddeford officer Stephen Dodd.

The motion was seconded by Councilor Bob Mills, but city attorney Harry Center told Mayor Alan Casavant the suspensions would be illegal because a city employee must be given adequate notice and have the opportunity to be represented by an attorney before such action can be taken. Casavant then ruled the motion out of order.

Hurtubise is the uncle of Matt Lauzon, a former Biddeford resident who went public on social media last fall with his accusations of being sexually abused by Dodd more than a decade ago. Casavant said it is common knowledge in Biddeford that Hurtubise is Lauzon’s uncle and that it is not a conflict for Hurtubise to sit on the council when it is considering matters related to the alleged sex abuse.

“It’s not a conflict by state law because there is no monetary interest,” Casavant said during a phone interview Tuesday night. “It’s really more of an emotional conflict. ”

Hurtubise could not be reached for comment, but Casavant said Hurtubise has spoken openly with him about his nephew’s situation.

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“I know that Roger always has the best interests of the city at heart,” the mayor said.

The sex abuse scandal involves allegations by Lauzon and others against two former Biddeford police officers, Dodd and Norman Gaudette.

On Monday, Gaudette’s attorney filed a defamation lawsuit against a former Biddeford police detective, Terry Davis, for allegedly making false and defamatory statements about an investigation of Gaudette in the early 1990s, when he was investigated for sexual abuse but was never charged.

Alleged victims and their supporters have turned out in force at recent council meetings to ask the council to suspend Beaupre and Fisk. Beaupre has been chief for 34 years.

Beaupre and Fisk met with the council for more than two hours in executive session Monday night. Casavant said the council held another executive session Tuesday night. The council has scheduled another public forum for Thursday at 7 p.m. and set a third executive session, to continue discussion of the matter, for June 8 at 6 p.m..

“Because of the slow pace of the Attorney General’s Office investigation and the inability of the two chiefs to say anything, there has been a lot of innuendo and speculation,” Casavant said. “If we are going to make a decision, we need to have all the facts in front of us.”

Beaupre and Fisk are prohibited by state law from speaking about ongoing investigations.

 


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