The town of Stoughton has a new acting police chief while Police Chief Donna McNamara says she is being forced out amid a smear campaign.
The town of Stoughton told Boston 25 on Wednesday that Deputy Police Chief James O’Connor will head the department after Police Chief Donna M. McNamara stepped away from her duties.
However, in a statement given to Boston 25, McNamara says the town is “prohibiting” her from performing her duties and that she is involuntarily being forced away.
McNamara’s legal representation says the town has no lawful reason to force her away from the department and that the town is attempting to assassinate her character.
McNamara’s legal team also says they have filed a harassment complaint against Town Manager Thomas Calter, alleging that he has been engaging in a “pattern of disparagement” against the police chief, has called and texted McNamara almost every day for the past two weeks and has used disparaging, misogynistic words regarding the town’s first female police chief.
“The Town of Stoughton, as demonstrated by the litany of national and international headlines over the past five years, does not exactly have an exemplary record when it comes to its treatment of women and girls,” Attorney Leah Marie Barrault said in a statement. “Never in my career have I seen such a nakedly transparent attempt to smear a good and honest police chief out of her job.”
Chief McNamara and her department have become embroiled in controversy after former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell was accused of killing a pregnant woman and staging her death as a suicide.
[ Ex-Stoughton police officer charged in pregnant woman’s death to appear in federal court ]
McNamara’s legal team pointed to her actions in exposing Farwell and two other Stoughton police officers for their alleged role in Birchmore’s death as part of her “exemplary” record.
“The system snaps back at those who try to upset the status quo. Chief McNamara has stood up against injustice in her career, and now the same unjust system is trying to harm her,” Barrault stated.
The town would not comment on the matter, only telling Boston 25 “as a matter of well-established practice, the Town and its officials do not publicly discuss or disclose information in connection with personnel matters to preserve all parties’ privacy interests and due process rights.”
Birchmore’s manner of death is now listed as “undetermined,” after previously being ruled a suicide.
Farwell has been in prison since August 2024, and is charged with her murder and causing the death of Birchmore’s unborn child.
Investigators say Birchmore was pregnant at the time of her death. However, DNA testing later determined the unborn child was not Farwell’s.
Farwell has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
His trial is scheduled for October.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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