Township-Hired Investigator Says LM Police Promotion Practices Aren't Discriminatory

According to Board of Commissioners President Liz Rogan, township-initiated investigations found no evidence of discrimination in the Lower Merion Police Department's hiring and promotion practices.

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

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.

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

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

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

In another matter, the township conducted its own internal investigation into allegations which a Penn Wynn resident made against her neighbor, who is Lower Merion police officer, 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 commission meeting in June.