Borough of Naugatuck / Naugatuck Police Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Borough of Naugatuck Releases

Independent Investigation Report

Regarding Naugatuck Police Chief

NAUGATUCK, CT (April 16, 2021) – An independent investigation report into the disclosure of certain racially charged Snapchat messages sent by the minor child of Naugatuck Police Chief, Steven K. Hunt, has been released to the public.  This report was commissioned in January 2021 by Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess.  The report can be accessed after 3:00 p.m., on April 16, 2021. See http://www.naugatuck-ct.gov under press releases.  The conclusions of the 40-page report are as follows:

• Police Chief Hunt’s employment contract, and Connecticut state law, include a “just cause” requirement that must be met before a public employee’s employment can be terminated.Just cause protections require certain due process procedural and substantive safeguards to be satisfied before an employee with such protections is terminated.

   

• No Department policies, procedures, rules, or regulations were violated by Chief Hunt. All Departmental policies contemplate actions taken directly by an employee, and not by an employee’s minor child.

   

• In light of existing employment legal protections, and the undisputed facts, Chief Hunt has not been shown to have engaged in any behavior sufficient to establish the “just cause” necessary to justify his termination or to invoke any other discipline.

   

• In addition to the independent investigative report from Karsten & Tallberg, LLC, a second independent review of this incident conducted by Michelson, Kane, Royster & Barger, P.C., reached a similar conclusion.This report will also be available after 3:00 p.m., on April 16, 2021.See http://www.naugatuck-ct.gov under press releases.

   

• The Borough of Naugatuck has fully cooperated with a separate investigation conducted by the NAACP.The Borough of Naugatuck and the Naugatuck Police Department will continue to embrace the concepts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and will strive to further enhance their efforts to improve every day.

Reports are listed below