BURLINGTON — Interim Police Chief Jen Morrison is conducting a further review of Deputy Police Chief Jan Wright’s social media usage after VTDigger uncovered a slew of posts from her anonymous accounts that had not been included in the city’s investigation.
Mayor Miro Weinberger is urging Morrison to complete that review “as quickly as possible,” Weinberberger spokesperson Olivia Lavecchia said via email Tuesday.
City councilors and a police commissioner have called for a further review following VTDigger’s story revealing additional posts from Wright’s social media accounts under fake names. Wright received an eight-day suspension for her behavior, with five of those days docked from vacation days and three to be served at a later date.
Councilor Max Tracy, P-Ward 2, said it was clear the city’s investigation was not thorough enough. He said it was “embarrassing” that VTDigger was able to quickly identify a significant number of additional posts.
“It’s clear this investigation was not nearly thorough enough, and it needs to be reopened so we get a full accounting of everything that Deputy Chief Wright did using these fake accounts,” he said.
After publication of its story last week, VTDigger identified another comment Wright made on a Seven Days Facebook post about the body camera footage in the Douglas Kilburn case. Kilburn died in March 2019 after an altercation with BPD Officer Cory Campbell.
The footage showed Kilburn punching Campbell before Campbell punches him back, leaving Kilburn bleeding heavily from his face.
“Some people hate that the truth is out: this an off the handle road rage guy who got out of his car and attacked a person who used a swear word during an argument and that person defended himself. But it’s a police officer who was defending himself and cop haters hate that, so now they have all this fake indignation over a curse word. I bet there was a string of expletives at home when the cop haters were watching the video and they realized they had nothing. Hypocrites,” Wright wrote from her “Abby Sykes” account.
Morrison said that she was still reviewing the posts uncovered last week and would not comment further on the matter.
“I am still in the process of reviewing the new information and I have asked for further clarification on the info I do have,” she said via email.
Tracy said that he didn’t think that the original punishment fit the offense.
“You can’t even call that a slap on the wrist,” he said. “And the new posts are even worse.”
Tracy said he was particularly troubled by Wright’s post questioning the racial makeup of the police commission. Wright wrote, “The commission is now 6/7th black. Is this representative of the Burlington community?”
“It’s really bad,” Tracy said. “I looked at elevating those individuals to the police commission as a real win, and as a way to bring perspectives to the table that had not been traditionally represented at the police commission.”
Wright apologized for her behavior in a written statement Jan. 27.
“I am deeply embarrassed by my behavior,” she said. “I look forward to returning to work and taking the steps necessary to correct my behavior and to regain trust with those with whom it has been broken.”
Police Commissioner Mark Hughes, the executive director of Justice for All VT, said he did not believe the commission had enough information to make a disciplinary recommendation for Wright.
“I never felt we had enough information to make a decision about her discipline, and I made it very clear in those proceedings, which is why I abstained,” he said.
Hughes said he thought Wright’s sentiments were unfortunate, and he thought an independent investigation was needed.
“What we will see, if we don’t get this right, is a stream of trickling information that comes out from this because, no, we have not gotten to the bottom of this,” he said. “We will continue to see a diminishing of the trust that the general public has in the administration and this department. Unfortunately, and sadly, we’ll see an adverse impact as a result of that on the perception of what is vastly a well-qualified and extremely capable police department.”
Councilor Perri Freeman, P-Central District, said she was disappointed in the quality of the city’s investigation.
“I think the story put a lot of evidence to the argument that the investigation was not thorough enough, that there was not enough accountability and transparency in it,” she said.
Freeman said she believed that the posts suggest that Wright should undergo diversity training. She said that she thinks the lack of a thorough investigation emphasized the need for enhanced citizen oversight of the department.
The Burlington Police Officers Association met with Weinberger Monday to discuss the issue. Vinny Ross, the spokesman for the police union, said the meeting was productive but the union had no further comment.
Councilor Joan Shannon, D-South District, said that her “heart sank” when she saw the newly revealed posts. She said the posts should be reviewed and considered.
“We have an interim police chief that is highly respected in the community, and I don’t really want to second-guess her,” she said. “But this is new information that she had not previously had an opportunity to consider when she made that decision, and I do think it should be considered.”
Council President Kurt Wright, R-Ward 4, said that a number of the posts were concerning.
“On the surface, it would appear [the investigation] wasn’t thorough enough,” he said.
The council president said there needed to be more discussion about the newly discovered posts.
“I have always had tremendous respect for Jan Wright, and I still do think she overall has done a really good job for the city of Burlington,” Councilor Wright said. “But this is a little bit of a problem.”
