Former Police Chief Joe Swanson and the Village of Woodstock are due to appear in Vermont Superior Court on Tuesday to continue the fight over his demotion by municipal manager Eric Duffy.
Judge H. Dickson Corbett has set aside a half hour to hear the merits of Swanson’s appeal. The two sides have been sparring for months in legal filings and hearings.
The court hearing is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be available to the public by tuning into WebEx. Interested members of the general public can call the courthouse in Woodstock at 802-457-2121 to request the web link for the hearing.
Judge Corbett could rule that day, but it is more likely he will take it under advisement and file written findings. He has another scheduled hearing after the Swanson hearing that afternoon.
Attorney Linda Fraas, who represents Swanson, has maintained Duffy lacked justification for demoting Swanson. She has asked the court to return Swanson to his old job.
Burlington attorney John H. Klesch on behalf of the village, has countered Swanson should not be reinstated as police chief in Woodstock. He has argued Duffy did not violate any state statute or employment agreement.
Swanson’s appeal to superior court over his demotion is one of two legal proceedings he has filed against Woodstock.
Swanson also filed a separate $5 million civil lawsuit with multiple claims, including unlawful discharge from his job. The named defendants include the village, Duffy, interim Police Chief Chris O’Keeffe, and trustee chair Seton McIlroy.
Burgess Loss Prevention, which conducted an internal investigation for Duffy, also is a defendant.
For more on this story, please see our Nov. 20 edition of the Vermont Standard.
