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Weathersfield officials fire patrolman for misconduct
By Mary Smith
MINERAL RIDGE
Weathersfield Township trustees Tuesday fired Patrolman Richard Mattessich, after a four-hour-plus meeting.
He was charged with malfeasance, nonfeasance, failure to obey orders and misconduct in office.
The hearing by trustees on written charges against Mattessich followed his suspension without pay on Dec. 4, after he had been placed on paid administrative leave since Nov. 10.
The meeting, which started at 7 p.m., ended at 11:20 p.m.
Trustee chairman James Stoddard estimated 65 people attended, with about 20 of them involved in the proceedings as trustees, attorneys, representatives for Mattessich and about six witnesses. Most of the township’s police officers also attended.
Trustees voted unanimously to remove Mattessich as a patrolman.
They also denied two grievances he had filed, one on Nov. 30 over his being removed from duty, and another on Dec. 7 regarding his suspensions without pay up until the hearing.
Trustees have the right, under Ohio Revised Code, to suspend an officer without pay for 15 days, Stoddard said.
He explained that the two grievances were denied because Mattessich, while under suspension and subject to removal from office, cannot file grievances on the matter.
Matessich was represented by Jeffery Perry, of the Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association.
Attorneys Doug Ross and Cherry Poteet represented the township.
The firing leaves the township with eight full-time officers, including the chief and captain, and six part-time officers. An additional officer was hired in November, which leaves the department at full force.
A full-time officer with the police department since 1999, Mattessich was accused of making false statements in 2010 and 2011. He claimed Dec. 12, 2010, that another officer had come on duty 10 minutes after roll call for the shift.
An internal investigation showed it was Mattessich who arrived 30 minutes after the start of the shift. He was also the officer in charge that night, and failed to hold roll call.
He was suspended for 30 days for that violation.
In a second instance, in September, Mattessich told Police Chief Joseph Consiglio, Capt. Michael Naples and an OPBA representative in a meeting that he had not had counseling while he had been on sick leave.
Another OPBA representative reported in October that Mattessich had given proof that he went to counseling. In further questioning by the chief and captain, he admitted he lied in September about counseling.
Consiglio sent trustees a letter Nov.10, saying: “I believe that this act of dishonesty constitutes malfeasance and misconduct and is grounds for immediate suspension without pay and dismissal by the board of trustees.”