One D.C. police officer is scheduled for a disciplinary hearing this month.
Officer H. Thomas is accused of repeatedly leaving his duty assignment and engaging in “inappropriate conduct,” according to the monthly schedule for adverse action hearings posted online. Thomas’ hearing is scheduled for Oct. 29.
The hearing schedules only identify officers by their last names and first initials and describe their alleged misconduct in the vaguest of terms.
Multiple rosters of MPD employees list only one person in the department with the last name Thomas and the a first name that begins with an H: Harold Thomas. A Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson confirmed Thomas’ full name but did not provide more details about the alleged “inappropriate conduct.”
Officer Harold Thomas started working for MPD in 2010, according to employment records available online, and makes $97,380 per year. He was assigned as a patrol officer in the Second District and is currently on non-contact status, according to the department spokesperson.
September’s single adverse action hearing involved Lt. Andre Suber, who has been accused by multiple women in a lawsuit of sexual harassment. The hearing schedule described the allegations against him as “inappropriate workplace conduct,” and it’s unclear if that conduct is related to the accusations in the lawsuit. Suber’s hearing was canceled, and it’s unclear if, or when, it will be rescheduled.
Adverse action hearings are open to the public, but MPD requires attendees to register by emailing drd-hearing.admin@dc.gov at least two business days in advance. The chairperson who oversees these proceedings has the discretion to close “all or portions of the hearing for cause,” according to the DRD’s rules.
The hearings operate like mini trials, where an officer (typically represented by an attorney) has the opportunity to respond to the accusations and present witnesses and evidence. At some point afterward, a panel of MPD brass will make a disciplinary recommendation, which can include a fine, suspension, reduction in rank or pay, and termination, according to MPD’s general orders. The final disciplinary decision rests with the chief of police, but the department generally does not tell the public what sort of punishment it imposes on officers who engage in misconduct.
Correction: This article originally said MPD declined to confirm the officer’s identity. This version has been updated to say that the department identified the officer’s full name.