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| Officer who spoke to media about Geoghan death is suspended |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 12/08/2003 |
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A senior official with the Massachusetts prison officers union has been suspended by the Department of Correction for talking to the media about the death of defrocked priest John J. Geoghan. Robert W. Brouillette, the business agent for the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, was suspended for 10 days because he violated department policy by providing details about Geoghan's death behind bars last August to reporters. Only the department's official spokesman is authorized to speak to the media, and the department has a policy against discussing details of an ongoing investigation. "When a homicide investigation is just under way, it's more than inappropriate for a staff person to make a comment," Department of Correction spokesman Justin Latini said. "His comments could have jeopardized the investigation and he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the department." Geoghan, 68, who was serving a nine- to 10-year prison term for molesting a boy, was strangled and beaten to death Aug. 23 in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski prison in Shirley, allegedly by another inmate who was serving a life sentence for murder. Joseph L. Druce has pleaded innocent to murder in Geoghan's death. The day after the slaying, Brouillette described the details of the incident to The Boston Globe and Washington Post, details that have since been corroborated by law enforcement officials. In a Nov. 21 letter to Brouillette, the department said he was being suspended for releasing "information to the public through the news media that purported to describe the manner and means in which inmate Geoghan was killed." Brouillete said he will appeal the suspension, which is scheduled to start Jan. 4. In the months following Geoghan's death, Brouillette was critical of the department and Commissioner Michael T. Maloney. He called on Maloney to hire more officers, while the union said the state prisons system was mismanaged and called for Maloney's resignation. Maloney, who signed the letter informing Brouillette of his suspension, has since taken a medical leave of absence and is not expected to return. |
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