Did former Morrisville police chief abuse his authority? Here are the charges

Morrisville’s former police chief was terminated last month based on a pattern of unbecoming conduct including abusing his authority and “misogynistic” mistreatment of the borough’s manager, allegations revealed for the first time at a meeting Wednesday night.

The official charges that led council to vote 6-2 to terminate George McClay were unveiled at what is expected to be a series of public hearings before the borough's Civil Service Commission, where the veteran officer is appealing his termination.

McClay, who had led the department nine years, has asked the three-member quasi-judicial appellate body to review his firing. He requested a public hearing on the charges lodged against him, which he has denied.

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Before a packed meeting room, Morrisville’s labor attorney Christopher Gerber outlined the charges against McClay, such as conduct unbecoming of an officer, negligence of official duties and “numerous” violations of borough policies.

According to Gerber, the former police chief:

• Allegedly mistreated and publicly humiliated Borough Manager Judith Danko, who was hired in 2021, conduct that Gerber described as “abusive” and “misogynistic” behavior. McClay also allegedly refused to cooperate with work related requests she made of his department.

• Allegedly improperly placed an abandoned vehicle sticker on a boat that was parked on a borough street.

• Allegedly failed to report hostile work environment complaints filed by officers in his department to council, a violation of borough policy.

• Allegedly attempted to buy his borough-issued service weapon without council approval and then transferred it to his son through a gun dealer, and refused to cooperate with an internal affairs investigation into the incident, which required the borough to hire an outside private investigator.

At the first hearing, testimony focused on allegations that McClay abused his authority in September 2022 when he responded to the home of a personal friend whose water was scheduled to be turned off for nonpayment.

Gerber alleges that McClay declined to press assault charges against his friend who allegedly shoved a water authority employee into the street, and told the employee to “take a walk” to give his friend time to pay his bill and avoid a shut-off.

McClay allegedly “softened” details of the incident in an official report, Gerber said, then threatened to file disorderly conduct charges against the employee if the authority followed through on filing a private criminal complaint against the homeowner.

The former borough water technician Daniel Wilson testified that he had shut off water hundreds of times during three years he worked at the authority, but this was the first time a homeowner got physical with him or that he had to call a supervisor.

After the homeowner shoved him, Wilson said he called his supervisor and police for assistance.  He testified the homeowner then informed him that he was calling “my buddy Police Chief George McClay.”

McClay arrived at the property in uniform driving an unmarked police car before the patrol officer, and shook hands with the homeowner, Wilson said.

“He acted like he was his best buddy,” he added.

Rather than assist him, Wilson testified McClay told him to take a walk, and he moved onto the next property on the shutoff list.  When the patrol officer arrived, Wilson said he was told McClay told the officer to tell him to “get lost.”

On cross examination by McClay’s attorney, Rick Paulson, Wilson acknowledged that McClay never ordered him to not shut off the water.

Wilson added he did not go back and shut off the water at the direction of his supervisor, but that he did not know the reason why.

In his testimony, Authority Executive Director John Warenda Jr. reviewed the multiple notices sent to homeowners before a technician is sent out to shut off the water including hanging a warning on the front door two weeks beforehand.

He testified that all those steps were taken in the Hillcrest Avenue shut off case.

Warenda testified that the Hillcrest Avenue incident was not the first time McClay had interfered with his employees doing their job and that he had spoken to him before telling him to stop.

He added his main concern was that a customer had put his hands on a borough employee, and his impression was McClay was more interested in helping his friend, than protecting Wilson.

Warenda testified he met with McClay and gave the chief an ultimatum: Investigate what happened and apologize to Wilson or he’d file a private criminal complaint against the customer.

In response, Warenda testified McClay threatened to file disorderly conduct charges against Wilson.

“This was a municipal employee doing his job,” Warenda added.

After two hours, the commission opted to continue the hearing until Jan. 17.

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Ex-Morrisville police chief fights termination charges