From August 2013 to May 2, 2023, former Hopkinton Deputy Chief of Police John “Jay” Porter served as the girls varsity soccer coach at Blackstone Valley Technical High School (“BVT”) in Upton. Although he was placed on administrative leave on August 25, 2022, Porter continued to coach the team at BVT for the entirety of the Fall 2022 season.
His employment with BVT was terminated eight months later, on May 2, 2023, three days after the school learned of his indictment on three counts of felony child rape.
Why he was able to continue coaching teenage girls while under investigation has been hotly debated in HopNews comments, and multiple residents have mentioned it to the Select Board during the public forum portion of their recent meetings.
During Sgt. Tim Brennan’s Loudermill hearing on January 19, 2023, Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett read a lengthy statement to the Select Board, justifying what would culminate in his recommendation to terminate Brennan for multiple departmental policy violations.
In his statement, Bennett said “It is also very concerning that, that given the nature of the allegation, the deputy continued to coach girls soccer.”
He then proceeded to recount the timeline of events of August 24, 2022.
“As stated, I received a phone call from a member of the Massachusetts State Police assigned to District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office. I was told that detectives were on their way to meet with Sgt. Brennan to discuss allegations against the deputy, related to a potential sexual assault of a child.”
He continued: “I was instructed at the time, that in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, that I not discuss the nature of the allegation with anyone, including the deputy. I confirmed that investigators were aware that Deputy Porter was currently a coach in a neighboring community where he coached girls’ youth soccer.“
And while we have no reason to doubt that the DA told Bennett not to not disclose the allegations, it was within the chief’s power to remove Porter as a coach at BVT.
Every accredited police department in the Commonwealth, if not the United States, has a provision in their rules and regulations governing off-duty employment for officers. Rule 4.01 of the Hopkinton Police Department Rules and Regulations govern off-duty employment.
RULE 4.01 OFF DUTY EMPLOYMENT
Officers shall not engage in any compensated off-duty employment without the knowledge and approval of the Chief of Police. The approval of the Chief of Police shall be based upon such factors as: (a) increasing off-duty efficiency and availability, (b) avoiding potential conflicts of interest, (c) protecting the image of the department, and (d) avoiding impairment of on-duty performance.=e Chief.
All personnel engaging in outside employment should clearly understand that their primary obligation is to the police department and the community they serve. Officers must not perform work that will make them unavailable in emergencies, exhaust them, require special scheduling or excessive shift swapping, or bring the department into disrepute or impair its operation or efficiency. Prior to accepting any outside employment, an officer must request, in writing, the approval of the Chief of Police. No officer shall accept other employment which could interfere with the officer’s employment with the department or could impair his or her independence of judgment in the exercise of official duties.
The chief placed Porter on administrative leave on August 25, 2022, and at the same time, he could have rescinded his approval to work outside of the Hopkinton police department. In doing so he would have honored his commitment to the DA to not interfere with the investigation, while simultaneously protecting the teenage girls at BVT from an alleged sexual predator.
Because he failed to act, Bennett appears to have violated at least two Hopkinton police department rules and regulations, the same two he accuses Brennan of violating.
Hopkinton Police Rules and Regulations 10.0 Attention to Duty
“Officers are expected to be constantly alert and vigilant in the performance of their duties and to respond prudently but decisively when police action is required or expected. Every employee of the department who has occasion to handle any complaint, assistance call, arrest or other duty with business-like dispatch and courtesy and without any unnecessary loss of time.“
Hopkinton Police Internal Affairs Policy 4.01
“A relationship of trust between employees of this police department and the citizens of the community is essential. As such, all police employees are expected to conduct themselves in such a manner as the reflect favorably upon themselves and the department.“
** this article was updated on Tuesday, February 20 to incorporate the specific rule from the HPD that governs off-duty employment.
Peter Thomas is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of HopNews
What do you have to say for yourself now, Chief?
We wondered why you took Tim Brennan’s policy book away from him when you put him on administrative leave. Yeah, that same policy book that you proudly waved around at the Loudermill hearing. Remember that, Chief? Yup, that was when you bragged about how you would have 100% protected the victim – if only Tim Brennan had told you. Indeed, that was just before both YOU and AMY RITTERBUSCH outed the victim. Well, now we know.
Not only did you interfere with the investigation, but you intentionally put an untold number of teenage girls lives at risk from an (alleged) sexual predator, your bestie Jay Porter!
It’s time for the Select Board to terminate you and take away your pension. Karma is indeed a bitch.
As Chief Bennet emphatically pointed out on January 19 (1:53 on the HCAM video attached to the HopNews Jan 20 article), shaking his finger in the air, “If Deputy Porter were here, I would fire him. For the first violation of rape, for the first violation of sexual assault on a child, I would fire him, I wouldn’t give him a written warning.”
Good to know (as was expressed that night) that a written warning would not suffice; this chief would not tolerate a felon convicted of rape or child abuse on the police force. However, I think I’d be happier to know that even before a conviction was in, that the chief would do everything in his power to protect our community.
Good point, because he’s also saying that the same punishment is appropriate for the officer that steered the way for Porter’s conviction and kept the victim’s identity private.
Peter, thank you for your team’s continued excellent work covering this important story. This is why a robust local media is so important.
Accountability is woefully lacking at the highest levels in the police department and Town government.
I yet again renew my call on the Select Board to request that the Massachusetts National Guard Military Police fill the chief and deputy chief positions in the Town of Hopkinton, not only to restore confidence in our police department, but also to protect any evidence that may exist in the breaking of Massachusetts GeneralLaw by the Chief and a Select Board Member.
Keep up the good work, Peter.
A.S.
Where are you now? What do you have to say with this info. The same two rules.
Personally I think you have a grudge against Brennan. If you could enlighten us to your feelings about this article & the chief I would appreciate it.
I’m completely serious, and not at all looking for a fight, but I am failing to see what rule the chief broke. Is it confirmed that the chief did not give his approval to Porter allowing him to coach soccer?
Porter became the BVT coach under the tenure of a previous chief, likely Tom Irvin. That approval can be rescinded arbitrarily by any chief. In failing to do so, Bennett did not comply with Attention to Duty (“constantly alert and vigilant, without an unnecessary loss of time”) and the IA policy (“conduct themselves in a manner as to reflect favorably … upon the department”).
Right, but he was told by the DA not to say or do anything, correct?
According to his statement at the Loudermill hearing, he was not to interfere with the investigation. Rescinding Porter’s approval to work would not have constituted interference, particularly because by that time Porter had been placed on leave and knew the allegations against him.
Have you confirmed that with the DA’s office. That rescinding Porter’s approval would not interfere with their investigation?