Part-time Woodstock police officer Phil Sinagra is back on patrol after a state supreme court judge ruled the town missed its legal deadline to discipline him. Sinagra has faced multiple misconduct allegations and was previously the subject of both a federal discrimination complaint and an internal town investigation.
Supervisor Bill McKenna confirmed Sinagra returned to police work Oct. 31 and said he was “frustrated” and “disappointed” over the outcome but conceded the town had no choice. While the town has the legal right to appeal the Oct. 7 court decision, the town board weighed its options under guidance from attorneys and determined the odds were not in its favor.
McKenna said as far as he knows, Sinagra’s first patrol shift was without incident.
Sinagra and police chief Clayton Keefe did not respond to requests for comment.
“I don’t know how I am going to supervise somebody like this who has put a target on my back,” said Sgt. Adam McGrath, who noted neither he nor the rank-and-file were notified Sinagra was returning.
In March, Sinagra sued the town to stop disciplinary hearings, arguing it was well outside the 60 days required by town law. He further alleged the complaints against him were in retaliation for making recommended policy changes in preparation for state accreditation of the Police Department.
Sinagra received a notice of discipline Sept. 20, 2024, exceeding the 60 days since the findings of the investigation were presented June 11, 2024.
Sinagra was placed on paid administrative leave May 16, 2023, until Nov. 22, 2024, when McKenna ordered him to clean up trash and enforce the Comeau Preserve leash law. He was then ordered to report to a desk upstairs from the town offices on Fridays with no assignments.
In a recent conversation, Sinagra said the town was three days away from submitting the paperwork for accreditation and he had asked to return to work to complete it but was denied.
Three officers, a sergeant and a former dispatcher complained Sinagra made racially and sexually charged comments. After an internal investigation initiated by McKenna found no wrongdoing, they filed a federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint.
When the EEOC complaint failed to result in charges, the police personnel filed a lawsuit seeking $500,000 each. One officer dropped out of the lawsuit, and the town eventually settled for $70,000 among the four remaining complainants.
Sinagra has vehemently denied the allegations and complained during interviews that he was continually left in the dark about the nature of the town charges. After the Oct. 7 court decision, he again said he had inquired about being placed back on patrol duty but was given no updates.
“It is deeply concerning that, despite numerous reports made to the police chief, officer Phil has been returned to duty without any apparent disciplinary action or accountability,” said a member of the police department who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“Multiple members of the department have reported serious misconduct, including the repeated use of racial slurs and instances of sexual harassment that left several female employees feeling unsafe and intimidated.”
The department source cast blame on chief Keefe.
“Rather than investigating or addressing these reports, the chief appeared to disregard the allegations and instead reassigned Phil to a position overseeing the department’s evidence room. Subsequently, it was discovered that multiple items of evidence had been removed or mishandled, and related documentation had gone missing,” the source said.
“To date, Chief Clayton has taken no visible steps to counsel, reprimand or discipline Phil for any of these documented concerns. As a result, both officers and community members are left questioning the department’s commitment to accountability and integrity.”
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