Former Oskaloosa Police Lieutenant resigns before appeal hearing

Local News

March 10, 2010

By ANDY GOODELL

OSKALOOSA — Discharge appeal hearings for former Oskaloosa Police Lt. Scott McCallum were set for Tuesday and today at the Mahaska County Courthouse.

They did not happen.

Instead, McCallum opted to resign from the Oskaloosa Police Department, said Carlton Salmons, who was hired to serve as an attorney for the city of Oskaloosa during the proposed appeal hearings.

“As of 9 o’clock this morning, he is no longer a member of the Oskaloosa Police Department,” said Salmons in a Herald interview Tuesday morning.

Robert Stuyvesant, who would have served as attorney for the Oskaloosa Civil Service Commission during the appeal hearings, confirmed McCallum had resigned. He added, details concerning McCallum’s December 2009 termination and the terms of his resignation remain a personnel matter. Stuyvesant stressed he was not involved in any agreement reached between the city of Oskaloosa and McCallum.

McCallum was terminated from the department by Oskaloosa Police Chief John “Jake” McGee Dec. 17 of this past year. He had since hired Oskaloosa attorney Greg Life and filed paperwork to appeal his termination as of Dec. 29.

If the appeal hearings had taken place, the procedure would have examined both McCallum’s and the city of Oskaloosa’s cases.

Civil Service Commission Chairman Andrew Holmberg explained the procedure at a recent meeting of the commission. Holmberg said the appeal hearing would begin with him swearing in witnesses. Next, the city would have presented its case, followed by McCallum’s case being made.

At the recent Oskaloosa Civil Service Commission meeting, the issue of what part of the hearing would be made public was brought up by commission member Ken Seemann. In particular, the deliberation portion of the hearing was of concern to Seemann.

At press time Tuesday, a message left with Life’s office was not returned.

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Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com