Delco officials fire the county’s director of emergency services after sexual harassment allegation

Delaware County’s Director of Emergency Services, Tim Boyce, was fired Friday morning after two employees had accused of him sexual harassment and ageism, county officials said.

Boyce, 60, had been on administrative leave since April 25, when county council members were notified by the state attorney general’s office of an investigation into allegations that Boyce had groped and forcibly kissed a woman he had hired to be his executive assistant, according to County Council Chairperson Monica Taylor.

Efforts to reach Boyce were unsuccessful Friday. Boyce had run the Department of Emergency Services since 2016 and oversaw the county’s 911 dispatch center.

The woman wrote in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that on Jan. 30, Boyce called her into his office and pulled her toward him, grabbing her face and cheeks in an attempt to kiss her.

She said she turned her head, causing Boyce to kiss her neck instead while asking whether he could touch her backside. He then groped her as she walked away, she said.

The woman quit her job shortly after. She said she later confronted Boyce by text message, telling him she was disgusted that he had used “his power as a predatory male and boss” to take advantage of her.

According to the complaint, Boyce responded to that text by apologizing and saying he never intended to harm her.

In her complaint, the woman said Boyce routinely made sexually charged remarks to her, including saying she “had a nice ass.”

Another female employee of Boyce’s filed an EEOC complaint in January saying he had created a hostile work environment for her in favor of younger, more attractive female employees.

A lawyer representing both women, Mark Schwartz, said Friday he was frustrated that the county waited so long to act, despite the evidence he had presented months ago.

“I will hold the Delco Council accountable for Tim Boyce,” he said.

Schwartz said he is preparing to file a third complaint against Boyce with the EEOC on behalf of an employee who was subjected to a prolonged pattern of sexual harassment.

In a statement Friday, a spokesperson for the Delaware County Council said officials are “committed to protecting our workforce and ... ensuring a fair and thorough examination of any complaints or allegations made by our county team.

“The safety and security of every County employee is a vital priority of County Council and County management,” the statement said. “Harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are not tolerated at the county and council is committed to ensuring that the work environment is safe for all county employees.”