To read the lawsuit associated with the deposition, and the other gender discrimination lawsuit filed against the Sheriff, visit: www.masscourts.org and select Berkshire Superior Court, and search for Thomas Bowler. These documents are all a matter of public record. All parties are considered innocent, as no ruling has been made, however the deposition reflects an unwillingness by the Sheriff to conduct his own review of complaints made by a female employee, instead, choosing to rely on the testimony of male employees, and use that as a basis to terminate the employment of the female employee. The Sheriff swears this testimony under oath.

Examples below:

Page 8:

Attorney: Okay. Is the sheriff’s office or yourself currently the defendant in any lawsuit that you’re aware of other than this one?

Bowler: Yes

Attorney: Okay. What other lawsuits?

Bowler: I believe it’s with another employee that we have. Another employee.

Attorney: All right. And do you know the name of that employee?

Bowler: I know the last name, [name redacted]

Attorney: Okay. And is it male or female?

Bowler: Female.

Attorney: And what is Ms. [name redacted] suing for?

Bowler: That I don’t know exactly.

Page 15:

Attorney: Well, what do you understand this case to be about?

Bowler: Discrimination.

Attorney: Anything else.

Bowler: No.

Attorney:  What is it that you believe that [female name redacted] is complaining where she was discriminated?

Bowler: With her job.

Attorney: Okay. How?

Bowler:  To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t know.

Attorney: How long did you take – how long was your meeting with attorney – Attorney [name redacted]

Bowler: Half an hour, 45 minutes.

Attorney: Okay. And how much time did you spend reviewing the investigative report in preparation for your deposition today?

(Page 16:)

Bowler: I read it a couple times

Attorney: Okay. Fair to say that you are familiar with it?

Bowler: Yes.

Attorney: Do you find anything in there to be inaccurate?

Bowler: No.

Attorney:  What did you do, did you do any type of additional investigation on your own to ensure that everything that was contained within that investigative report was accurate?

Bowler: No.

Attorney: Prior to – well, who made the decision to terminate [female name redacted]

Bowler: I did.

Attorney: Did anybody else make that decision?

Bowler: No.

Page 90

Attorney: Before you made your decision did you –

Bowler: No.

Attorney: -- meet with [female name redacted]

Bowler: No, not at all

Attorney: Did you get any information from [female name redacted]

Bowler: No

Attorney: Did you get her side of the story

Bowler: No

Attorney: Did you know anything that she had said in response to anything that was in the investigative report?

Bowler: Only what was in the report.  I did not get anything personally from Officer [female name redacted], no.

Attorney: And you didn’t listen – and you didn’t listen to the interview?

Bowler: No, I did not.

Attorney: Do you regret that now?

Bowler:  No, I do not.