Ross police sergeant claims defamation against township, police association
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A Ross police sergeant is suing his employer and former police union, accusing them of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming from unfounded allegations that he improperly shared a video from a juvenile sex crime investigation.
Joseph Serowik, 51, has worked for the Ross police department since 2004 and was promoted to sergeant in 2018.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants made defamatory statements about him that have damaged Serowik’s integrity, reputation and character.
Attorney Philip J. Murray, who serves as the township’s solicitor, said he could not comment on pending litigation. A message left with the attorney representing the Ross Township Police Association was not immediately returned.
Serowik serves as special programs coordinator for the Ross police, including working community outreach and as a school liaison officer.
It was in that role, the lawsuit said, that the police union defamed Serowik.
The lawsuit filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court said Serowik was called to North Hills High School on Jan. 25 to investigate an incident of “sexting.”
School officials reported that a student at the school sent a 9-second, grainy, sexually explicit video to other students. While Serowik investigated, the school psychologist, who had a copy of the video, sent it to the sergeant’s cellphone.
The next morning during police roll call, the lawsuit said, Serowik spoke about the investigation from the day before and “briefly held up his cellphone and presented the grainy ‘sexting’ video to the other officers.”
He later uploaded the video to his work computer to preserve it as evidence and deleted it from his phone.
The same day, the complaint said Officer Jon Killmeyer notified Chief Joseph Ley of the incident, claiming that what Serowik did was a potential crime.
When the chief had taken no action against Serowik two days later, the lawsuit said, the police association sent a letter to township commissioners.
In the letter, attached to the lawsuit as an exhibit, the association said that Serowik was laughing and joking as he showed the video.
“None of these officers in the room will be participating in this investigation so it was inappropriate and potentially criminal to show them a naked picture/video of a juvenile,” the letter said.
The letter alleged that the conduct could amount to sexual abuse of children.
The association also referred the matter to the state Attorney General’s office and informed the local media, the lawsuit said.
In March, the AG’s office sent a letter to Ley, clearing Serowik of any wrongdoing. In it, the AG’s office said that it was clear from reviewing reports and video taken from the roll call room, that Serowik “was discussing an ongoing criminal investigation.
“While discussing the investigation in the roll call room, Sgt. Serowik very briefly showed the self-produced video to his colleagues.”
The attorney general’s office said that was not a crime. A month later, township commissioners also issued a letter clearing Serowik.
“Even though the findings of the Office of Attorney General and the Ross Township Board of Commissioners vindicate (Serowik), damage resulting from the association’s libelous statements has been done,” the lawsuit said.
After the allegations regarding the video were made against him, Serowik was banned from participating in the Perrysville Boy Scouts troop, where he’d volunteered since around 2013 and served as an assistant scoutmaster.
“As a direct result of the association’s actions, (Serowik) has suffered from anxiety, irritability, hypervigilance, marked difficulty experiencing happiness or joy, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite and severe depression,” the lawsuit said.
Serowik, who has served in the Pennsylvania National Guard for 33 years and is currently a lieutenant colonel, withdrew from the police association in October 2021 but alleges that he is still harassed by its members.
Murray, the township solicitor, said on Friday that the township is in the process of hiring a new police chief since Ley is retiring early next year.
“Things have calmed down recently,” Murray said. “We’re hoping relations improve.”
The lawsuit asserts that Serowik would have been in the running for the chief’s position if not for the defamation against him and that he has since been removed from consideration.