A day after she denied embattled Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White's request for an injunction that would block his firing, Superior Court Judge Heidi Brieger stayed that ruling as White mounts an appeal.
While acting Mayor Kim Janey is seeking to dismiss White after a hearing to be conducted via Zoom, White contends, in effect, that a trial-like proceeding conducted by a judge is required.
Janey said on May 14 that she planned to bring White's brief, troubled tenure to a close, describing past domestic violence allegations against him as a "cloud" hanging over the Boston Police Department. While White and his daughter maintain that he was unjustly accused, an outside investigation launched by former Mayor Marty Walsh lent credence to the claims against White.
White became commissioner on Feb. 1 of this year, less than a week after his predecessor, William Gross, unexpectedly announced his retirement. Two days later, Walsh placed White on leave after the Boston Globe asked the then-mayor about the allegations, which date back more than two decades.
At the time, Walsh, who is now labor secretary in the Biden Administration, was preparing for a hearing on his pending confirmation in Washington, D.C., and told the Globe: "These disturbing issues were not known to me or my staff."
In recent court filings, however, both White and Gross have disputed that claim, leading Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Seth Moulton to demand more information about what Walsh knew and when he knew it.
The controversy has also provided an early test for Janey. The former city council president automatically became acting mayor when Walsh retired, and is one of several candidates in this year's mayoral election.
Prior to this controversy, White, who is Black, had been a champion of police reform in Boston. After his suspension, some advocates suggested he was being held to a different standard than white officers who are accused of breaking the law.
In a statement, Janey said she had postponed White's dismissal hearing, and added: "I stand ready to move forward on behalf of the residents of Boston and the Boston Police Department, as soon as the court allows."
This story has been updated to include acting Mayor Janey's statement.
