A former Delco police chief’s claims of racial discrimination are heading to trial in federal court

On Jan. 2, 2022, three newly elected members of the Yeadon Borough Council met with two of their colleagues to discuss the future of the town’s police department.

During the meeting, the new council members said they wanted to replace Police Chief Anthony “Chachi” Paparo, who is white, with a Black officer to better reflect the demographics of the predominantly Black Delaware County borough, court documents show.

Those three and another council member continued to push for a change in the days that followed, and one even approached a Black officer in the department to gauge his interest in the job, according to depositions from government officials cited in court documents in a federal lawsuit later filed over the matter.

Another council member sent a text message to a colleague asking whether she knew whether a particular Black Philadelphia police officer might be interested in the borough’s top law enforcement job, court documents show.

Paparo, 60, was fired on Feb. 17, 2022, in a 4-3 vote. He sued the borough and the four council members who voted against him, saying they improperly terminated him because of his race and later defamed him by criticizing his tenure in mailings to borough residents.

Borough officials dispute that, insisting that the chief’s firing was not motivated by race. His replacement, Henry Giammarco Jr., is white.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson denied the borough’s request to dismiss Paparo’s lawsuit, setting the stage for an April jury trial on the issue, which drew unwelcomed attention to the town of 12,000 bordering Southwest Philadelphia.

The council members who voted Paparo out — Borough Council President Sharon Council-Harris; Vice President Learin Johnson; and council members Tomeka Jones-Waters and Carlette Brooks — said their decision had nothing to do with race. They said they had concerns about his leadership, citing $387,000 the borough had to pay to settle a grievance filed by the Fraternal Order of Police alleging that the chief had improperly hired part-time officers in violation of the union contract.

(Johnson is the only one still on the council; the three others have since left office.)

A lawyer for the borough, Joseph Santarone, conceded in recent court filings that although some of the council members “may have been motivated by race in their individual votes to terminate him,” other factors influenced their votes. He cited concerns about the FOP grievance, as well as a personal dispute between Paparo and one council member.

Santarone did not return a request for comment. Robert DiDomenicis, the lawyer for the council members, said he had no comment on the judge’s ruling.

» READ MORE: Why did two people die by suicide in Yeadon police custody? Their families want answers.

Paparo’s lawyer, Harold Goodman, said in a recent interview that he was “delighted to be at a stage where we can let a jury hear all the evidence.”

“Let them determine the merits of the case,” Goodman said. “I think the trial will show that a tragedy occurred, and while it affected a human being and destroyed his reputation and integrity, it’s something that’s impacted all of us in a variety of ways, certainly all of the people who live and work in Yeadon.”

As Paparo learned of the efforts to replace him, he rallied supporters to speak out on his behalf, drafting a petition that garnered more than 1,000 signatures. In his lawsuit, Paparo said he had a stellar reputation and performance record in his five years as Yeadon’s police chief.

He said that the council gave him the choice to retire with three months’ salary or be fired, and that a hearing held days before his termination vote was a “sham” that didn’t allow him or his lawyer to present a proper defense.

Then, the borough council released a “Fast Facts” flier that listed 10 reasons for his firing. The bulletin was mailed to all borough residents and posted on the borough’s website.

Among the reasons cited was the chief’s decision to hire 21 part-time officers to supplement the force during the height of COVID-19 and civil unrest in 2020 while several officers were undergoing training and unavailable to work. That decision led the FOP to file the grievance that resulted in the $387,000 settlement.

Paparo’s lawyers said the flier was defamatory and has prevented him from getting another job.

Council members said the flier was an important counter to Paparo’s public assertion that he was fired because of his race.

The decision is expected to be in the hands of a jury this spring.