Brookline's Ex-Police Chief Not In MA Disciplinary Database: Report

BROOKLINE, MA — Despite being terminated last fall after being accused of breaking the town's policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation, former Brookline Police Chief Ashley Gonzalez was not among the 2,100 officers listed in an officer disciplinary database released to the public this week, WBUR reported.

The database titled "Sustained Allegations and Disciplinary Actions" was released by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST), a police oversight board created in 2020.

Gonzalez was hired in Brookline in the spring of 2022 after leading the Austin (TX) Independent School District Police Department.

However, Gonzalez was placed on paid administrative leave in early August of 2022 after being accused of breaking the town's policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. WBUR reported that Gonzalez was accused of sexually harassing two women in the department

The town conducted an initial review of "multiple allegations" and hired Quincy-based Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting to further investigate the claims.

Former Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin and Daniel Bennett, former secretary of public safety and Worcester County assistant district attorney, led the investigation.

On Oct. 14, 2022, the Brookline Select Board voted unanimously to terminate Gonzalez, effective immediately.

"A couple weeks ago we were in the same room to welcome Chief Gonzalez and we had high hopes," Select Board Chair Heather Hamilton said at the time of Gonzalez's ouster. "It is with a very heavy heart that we conclude our business today."

According to WBUR, Gonzalez denied making some of the alleged comments, but he also told investigators his attempts to be "funny and relatable" went "terribly wrong."

The station reported that Brookline paid out more than $250,000 in total settlements to the women.

However, WBUR reported that Gonzalez, along with ousted police chiefs from Westminster and Southborough — who also were fired after disciplinary complaints —were not found in the POST database.

A POST spokesperson contacted by WBUR said she didn't know why Gonzalez was missing from the database.

The spokesperson said it could be that the issue had not been forwarded from the Brookline PD to POST, or that the matter still was pending when the database last was updated on Jan. 31.

Jennifer Paster was promoted to Chief of Police for the Brookline PD in April. She began serving as the acting chief of police in August 2022.