A federal jury reached a verdict in Williamsport in a civil rights trial of a now-retired former police lieutenant that the lawsuit he filed against the city was not a factor motivation so that he would not be promoted to deputy police chief under two mayors.

Steven Helm, a now-retired police lieutenant, alleged in the civil lawsuit that former Mayor Gabriel J. Campana and Mayor Derek Slaughter “separately and independently” retaliated against him by refusing to promote him. Helm filed one count against each and claimed he should have been selected as deputy chief in 2019 and that Campana refused to promote him. When the deputy chief position opened up during the Slaughter administration, the current mayor selected another candidate in 2020.

Helm argued that he was the most qualified candidate because he had more “supervisory experience”.

Campana’s testimony was based on a lack of compatibility between Helm’s management style and his own preferences, while Slaughter’s testimony highlighted a preference for candidates with strong formal credentials and law enforcement experience. community, according to the memoir by Sean E. Summers. in court. Helm was represented by Michael J. Zicolello of Schemery Zicolello.

In returning the verdict form, the jurors declared “Yes,” When asked, did Helm prove, by the preponderance of the evidence, that Campana and Slaughter were acting under color of state law when they failed to promote Helm to deputy chief of the police.

Jurors also said Helm proved he engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment when he filed civil rights lawsuits against the city and some of its officials in 2017 and 2018.

The jurors also said “Yes” When asked, did Helm prove by a preponderance of evidence that his protected activity was a factor in Campana’s decision not to appoint Helm as deputy police chief in September 2019.

Additionally, the jury upheld defendants’ evidence, based on most of the evidence, that Campana would have treated Helm the same way if Helm’s protected activity had played no role in the hiring decision.

However, the jurors said “No” When asked, did Helm prove by the preponderance of the evidence that his protected activity was a factor in Slaughter’s decision not to appoint him deputy police chief in October 2020.

The jurors said “Yes” when asked if Helm had proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the city had an official practice of authorizing its mayors whom they appoint as deputy police chief.

The case was presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge William I. Arbuckle.