Leet police chief on leave sues township, alleging political retaliation

The police chief of Leet sued the township this week, alleging commissioners placed him on administrative leave because of his support of their political opponents, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Michael Molinaro, a Leet officer since 2013 and chief since March 2021, said in the lawsuit the township violated his civil rights, claiming retaliation against his politics and his speaking out against reinstating an officer.

The officer in question, Nicklas Vigliotti, allegedly made “aggressive, sexual and/or racial comments” to colleagues and residents, according to the lawsuit, and overall “acted inappropriately” toward residents while on duty.

Molinaro said that he reprimanded Vigliotti multiple times following complaints about his behavior, ultimately firing him in December 2021.

According to the lawsuit, Vigliotti submitted his resignation to the board of commissioners in January, by which point newly elected commissioners Rody Nash and Daniel Peluso had taken office. Molinaro said he’d supported the political opponents of Nash and Peluso, as was as candidates who’d previously run against board president Martin McDaniel and vice president Carolyn Verszyla.

The same month, Vigliotti submitted a complaint about his termination, according to the lawsuit, and the board voted at the March 14 commissioners’ meeting to reinstate him pending an investigation into his complaint.

Molinaro said he spoke against Vigliotti’s reinstatement at the meeting during public comment. He claims his comments were left out of the public record.

Minutes from that board meeting posted to the township website list the commissioners who were present as well as 19 others who attended the meeting. The minutes indicate that commissioners held an hour-long executive session to discuss police personnel matters.

Later in the meeting, according to the minutes, the board voted in favor of creating an investigatory committee comprised of McDaniel and Verszyla and an outside attorney to investigate Vigliotti’s complaint. The board also voted to reject Vigliotti’s resignation letter and directed Molinaro to add him back to the schedule.

At an April 15 meeting, the board voted to place Molinaro on paid administrative leave “as advised by the independent investigator” hired in the previous meeting. The move was to “preserve the integrity of the internal investigation.”

During public comment on the motion, several residents questioned the move, and solicitor Stephen Chesney noted that it was “not a disciplinary measure,” according to the minutes. When a resident asked about the staffing of the department, Chesney “asked that this is not discussed and should not be posted on social media.”

Officer Stephen Panormios was appointed interim chief at the same meeting. Notes in the meeting minutes noted that Panormios “will help us through the investigation.”

Molinaro, noting that he was placed on leave and Vigliotti was not, claimed in his lawsuit that “not rational basis exists for this difference in treatment.”

In his lawsuit, Molinaro said Vigliotti has alleged Molinaro falsified his termination form by indicating he had a disciplinary record. Molinaro refuted that claim and noted he’d previously reprimanded Vigliotti.

Molinaro claims he was placed on leave because he politically opposed the new board members and because he spoke against reinstating Vigliotti. Molinaro is seeking unspecified damages.