A former Hamburg police patrolman has sued the borough, the chief and another officer in federal court for what he said were their actions that resulted in his unlawful firing.
Keven Chase, West Lawn, alleged in the 16-page complaint filed Wednesday that he lost his job because the borough failed to give him an adequate hearing, Chief Pedro A. Rivera made defamatory comments about him and Officer Angel Cabrera called the state police to investigate false claims that Chase had violated the law.
"There was a conspiracy between Chief Rivera and Officer Cabrera to violate (Chase's) constitutional rights in an effort to terminate his employment," according to the complaint.
Also named as defendants were 15 people, either borough employees or council members, whose identities Chase said he does not know.
Chase asked the court to bar any discrimination against him, award him actual and punitive damages, including back pay and benefits, attorney fees, costs and interest. He also demanded a jury trial of the case.
In the complaint, Chase alleged he suffered an on-the-job injury in August 2012 and received workers' compensation payments for about six months.
However, Rivera became upset and started a campaign against him, including libelous statements that he was "a dirty cop," the complaint reads in part.
In May 2013, Cabrera called state police officers to Borough Hall to talk with Chase about a car he had bought that was related to a case on which he had worked.
As a result, Rivera disciplined Chase and referred the matter to the borough, the complaint reads in part.
The borough council then voted on June 10 to fire Chase and refused to reinstate him due to defamatory comments about him by Rivera, according to the lawsuit.
Chase alleged that the borough council failed to grant him an adequate hearing, discharged him because of Rivera's abuse of his authority, discriminated against him under the terms of the federal Rehabilitation Act and wrongfully fired him because he had made a workers' compensation claim.
He also said Rivera and Cabrera conspired to violate his rights, and Rivera gave borough officials false information that Chase had been involved in illegal activity.
These actions destroyed Chase's reputation, cost him his job and caused him severe emotional distress, according to the complaint.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge James K. Gardner.