Weeks after a public feud between two Stoughton town leaders was made public, town manager Thomas Calter is speaking out for the first time, denying the police chief's claims that he tried to hamper the investigation into Sandra Birchmore's death.
"I want to be unequivocal on one point: I did not ask Chief McNamara to destroy, alter, suppress, or otherwise interfere with any investigation or investigative report concerning Sandra Birchmore," Calter said in a statement provided to Boston 25. "I would never make such a request. I have supported, and continue to support, the investigative process and the pursuit of justice for Sandra and her family."
Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara claims that she was forced off the job after filing a harassment complaint against the town. Recently, she filed a lawsuit, alleging breach of contract, discrimination, and a coordinated effort to remove her from her position.
As part of the lawsuit, McNamara alleges that Calter has been engaging in a "pattern of disparagement" against the police chief, had called and texted McNamara almost every day over a period of two weeks and used disparaging, misogynistic words regarding the town's first female police chief.
According to McNamara's attorney, Leah Barrault, the lawsuit also claims that on July 7, a senior member of the police department allegedly reported that McNamara had spoken harshly to him and caused workplace stress. McNamara's attorneys claim no written complaint was provided to her or her legal counsel and no fact-finding investigation was conducted before Calter allegedly demanded that she resign "with dignity" or face immediate termination.
Calter has denied the claims that McNamara was given an ultimatum and that he allegedly harassed her by telephone, saying, "My telephone and email records will demonstrate that I have had no communication with Chief McNamara since July 7. The only subsequent communication was a text message intended solely to coordinate attorneys' schedules, which was reviewed and approved by Town Labor Counsel.
Calter and McNamara have both been placed on paid leave.
The Stoughton Police Department has faced significant public scrutiny in recent years following allegations against former officer Matthew Farwell in the high-profile Sandra Birchmore case.
Federal prosecutors allege Farwell murdered Birchmore, a pregnant woman, in 2021 and staged her death to appear as a suicide. Investigators have also alleged that Farwell began a sexual relationship with Birchmore while she was underage.
McNamara ordered an internal affairs investigation into the case in 2022 as questions mounted over the department's handling of officers connected to Birchmore.
Birchmore was pregnant at the time of her death. However, DNA testing later determined that Farwell was not the father of her unborn child.
Farwell has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His federal murder trial is currently scheduled to begin in October.
Calter's full statement can be read below:
I want to begin by expressing my deepest condolences to Sandra Birchmore's family. I have always been committed to supporting a full, thorough, and transparent investigation into Sandra's death, and I remain committed to ensuring that the facts are fully brought to light.
I want to be unequivocal on one point: I did not ask Chief McNamara to destroy, alter, suppress, or otherwise interfere with any investigation or investigative report concerning Sandra Birchmore. I would never make such a request. I have supported, and continue to support, the investigative process and the pursuit of justice for Sandra and her family.
