Fired Butler officer can have his job back
William Mayhugh, a Butler police sergeant who was fired by the city last year, has the right to return to the department although he is still undecided.
Mayhugh, in an interview Wednesday, said he is talking with Mayor Ben Smith and other officials to decide if and when he will return, after an arbitrator ruled in his favor earlier this week.
Butler City Council voted 3-2 to fire Mayhugh on Feb. 23, following an incident in which he allegedly used excessive force with a prisoner in Butler County Prison on Feb. 12.
Since September Mayhugh has worked as a deputy with the Butler County Sheriff's department.
He filed a grievance through the police union, arguing that he acted within the scope of his authority. Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger reviewed a video of the incident and determined criminal charges were not warranted.
Arbitrator William Miller heard both sides of the case in a hearing Oct. 9 at city hall and issued a decision Tuesday stating that the city did not have just cause to terminate Mayhugh.
In a statement, Mayhugh wrote that he chose not to comment publicly about the incident and let the grievance process run its course.
“The lengthy process I went through to prove my position was vindicated by the decision of the neutral arbitrator,” he said in the statement.
The union's argument in the grievance process was that he did not violate the department's policy about use of force, he said.
“On behalf of my family, I want to thank all of those who believed my actions were reasonable and appropriate,” he said.
The arbitrator ruled that Mayhugh is entitled to return to his position of sergeant and will be “made whole” for pay that he missed during his 11 months away from the department. The arbitrator also ruled that the city was entitled to an offset on the reimbursement for any unemployment benefits and pay Mayhugh received as a sheriff's deputy.
Lt. Chad Rensel, the acting president of the city officers' union Fraternal Order of Police 32, said Wednesday that the union was happy with the outcome of the arbitration. He declined to comment further.
David Mitchell, the attorney who represented the city in the hearing, would not divulge the specifics of the case Wednesday or say if the city was planning to appeal the ruling. He confirmed that the decision was handed down and said that city and union officials were still discussing how to proceed.
Police Chief Ron Brown would not comment Wednesday, saying it was a personnel matter. Butler Mayor Ben Smith also declined to comment.
The police department is fully staffed with 22 officers right now, Smith said. Mayhugh's position as sergeant was not filled during his absence.
During his tenure as a sergeant, Mayhugh said the city police had four squads, each consisting of a lieutenant, a sergeant and three patrolmen.
A native of Tarentum, Mayhugh worked for the city department since December of 1995. He was formerly the president of police union. He lives in the Butler area and said he has liked working as a sheriff's deputy.
“It's a good job. I knew most of the guys already,” he said.
He plans to continue his career in law enforcement with one of the two departments, though he could not work both jobs, he said.
