CRANBERRY TWP — An officer terminated from the township police department last year returned to his job Tuesday after a ruling by an arbitrator.

Michael Pszenny, a patrol officer who had been with the department for 14 years, was terminated on Dec. 18, 2015, according to documents released to the Butler Eagle by the township.

He was terminated for violating department policy, but the township did not release other details about his conduct.

After the termination, the Cranberry Township Police Association, the police officers’ union, filed a grievance with the township, said Neva Stotler, township director of human resources and legal affairs. The process for filing a grievance is outlined in the police contract.

The police association requested that Pszenny’s discipline be reduced to a three-day suspension and that he be given back pay and benefits for the time that he missed.

On May 11 an arbitration hearing was held in the township building before Ronald Talarico, a neutral arbitrator.

Talarico issued his findings on Sept. 16. He found that Pszenny did violate department policy.

“He was adjudicated to have done the things the township accused him of doing,” Stotler said.

However, he ruled that termination was too severe of a penalty and that he should be reinstated. The arbitrator also ruled that he should not receive back pay or benefits for the time he was away from the department. His absence was considered a long-term suspension, Stotler said.

One factor in the decision was that he was a longtime member of the department and had no history of discipline issues.

Pszenny was not replaced with a new hire and he returns to his position of patrol officer and retains his seniority, police Chief Kevin Meyer said.

“I am generally satisfied with the outcome of the arbitration. I was hoping he would uphold the termination, but he didn’t see it that way,” Meyer said.

Stotler said that a further appeal of the decision has not been filed, but the association has 30 days to do so. Another appeal would require a “substantial burden” to overcome the decision, she said.

Pszenny was one of several officers disciplined by the department last year. Three other officers, whose names were not released, were given three-day suspensions, also on Dec. 18.

Scott Carney, a probationary officer, was terminated Dec. 1.

Eric Stoltenberg, attorney for the police association, was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.