Hopkinton Police Sergeant Fired Over Failure to Report Rape Allegations

By Patrick Wilson

The Hopkinton Select Board has voted 4-1 to terminate Sgt. Timothy Brennan from the town’s police department. Brennan was fired for not reporting rape allegations against former Deputy Police Chief John Porter dating back to 2017, despite being made aware of them by the victim.

An independent investigation last year found Brennan violated department policies by staying silent on the accusations against Porter, who was indicted in 2023 on child rape charges. However, Brennan claimed he refrained from reporting at the victim’s request to avoid causing further trauma.

During an emotionally-charged public hearing, police Chief Joseph Bennett advocated for Brennan’s firing, stating he won’t “tolerate officers concealing, covering up” or allowing violence. Brennan defended his inaction as motivated by protecting the victim.

While one select board member voted to keep Brennan, others cited his failure to prevent Porter’s promotion and continued work coaching girls’ soccer as unacceptable lapses in judgment.

Brennan plans to fight his termination through arbitration. His lawyer argued the victim may never have come forward had Brennan not provided a supportive confidante role initially.

The board’s firing decision followed weeks of deliberation on appropriate disciplinary action for Brennan staying silent on the serious allegations against a senior police official for years.

** This piece was created with the help of ai.