One of 2 disciplinary hearings involving suspended VicPd Chief Frank Elsner will proceed in just over a week. Deputy Police Complaint Commissioner Rollie Woods says the first will involve 3 allegations of harassment:
"The one that's going ahead are the allegations that were found to meet the threshold for a discipline proceeding by retired judge Ian Pittfield. Those are related to the workplace harassment concerns that were brought ahead. So that will be going ahead on April 21st."
Those allegations involve unwanted physical contact with female staff, unwelcome sexual remarks and inappropriate comments that could reasonably be seen as objectifying female staff, and leering and inappropriately staring at female staff members.
The second hearing, by Retired Judge Carol Baird Ellan has been affected by a newly granted supplementary investigation. A report will be forwarded to the OPCC and Baird Ellan by May 9th. It then must be reviewed, and if a hearing is still warranted a new date will then be set.
That hearing involves providing misleading information to a member under his command, providing misleading information to the independent investigator; and contacting potential witnesses in the internal investigation.
One estimate is that it could be July before a second hearing could be held.