New documents reveal little about Wareham Fire District controversy

This week an attorney for the Wareham Fire District released heavily redacted documents related to employee complaints accusing Fire Chief John Kelley of harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

The documents, obtained by Wareham Week through a public records request, contribute limited new information to the ongoing controversy in the fire district. The controversy, which revolves around the chief, includes several union grievances, multiple employee complaints and growing tension between staff and administrators.

What was disclosed includes the dates of events and conclusions reached by the Prudential Committee, the board which oversees the fire district. But details of the allegations made by employees as well as the total number of complaints remain unclear.

The released documents concern two complaints. The first complaint was filed by an employee on June 11, 2024. In it, they accused Kelley of harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

In response to the allegations the Prudential Committee spent nearly $40,000 to hire Michael Gardner, a former director of personnel and labor relations for Cambridge, to conduct an investigation.

Gardner summarized his findings in a 52-page document, of which 48 pages were fully redacted by the district’s attorney, Leo Peloquin.

However, from the headings of redacted pages it is clear that instances that occurred between May 15 and June 11 resulted in the employee making the complaint.

It is also clear that additional complaints were made prior to the employee’s June 11th filing, but it is not apparent who made them or what they contained.

Gardner found that the chief did not “violate the Wareham Fire Department’s harassment policy or create a hostile work environment.”

The Prudential Committee agreed with Gardner’s findings in a decision on Oct. 28 and closed the matter.

The second complaint appears to be ongoing and was filed on Nov. 14. A human resource company recently hired by the district, HR Key Solutions, conducted an investigation.

The nearly totally redacted summary of the company’s investigation only discloses that the complaint was filed with the chief and Prudential Committee and that five witnesses were interviewed.

The Wareham Fire District provides fire protection to a large portion of the Town of Wareham, and supplies water to much of that same area. The Onset Fire District covers the remaining part of town.

Although working cooperatively with the town on many matters, neither district is part of the town government. Each is a quasi-municipal government, with its own elected officials, bylaws and taxing authority.

Kelley joined the Wareham Fire Department as a recruit in 1995 and has spent his entire firefighting career with the department, succeeding former Chief Matt Rowley in 2022.

It was learned at the Jan. 9 Prudential Committee meeting that Kelley sustained an injury during a mutual aid response assisting a neighboring fire department.

At that meeting, Assistant Chief Patrick Haskell was named as acting chief, assuming the chief’s duties, while Kelley recovers from his injury.