Wheeler Cowperthwaite v. Whitman, Town of - Police Department (SPR 20210338)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Rebecca S. Murray Supervisor of Records February 24, 2021 SPR21/0338 Melissa Madden Records Clerk Town of Whitman Police Department 20 Essex Street Whitman, MA 02382 Dear Ms. Madden: I have received the petition of Wheeler Cowperthwaite appealing the response of the Whitman Police Department (Department) to a request for public records. G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On January 27, 2021, Mr. Cowperthwaite requested “[t]he settlement agreementt [sic] in the federal case 20-cv-11992 (Edward Slocum v Town of Whitman).” The Department provided a response on February 10, 2021, which included responsive records redacted pursuant to Exemption (c) of the Public Records Law. G. L. c. 4, § 7(26)(c). Unsatisfied with the Department’s response, Mr. Cowperthwaite petitioned this office, and SPR21/0338, was opened as a result. Subsequent to the opening of this appeal, the Department provided a supplemental response to Mr. Cowperthwaite on February 19, 2021. Whereas the basis of this appeal was opened as a result of the Department’s February 10th response, I will now consider this administrative appeal closed. Mr. Cowperthwaite may appeal the substantive nature of the Department’s February 19th response within ninety days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Rebecca S. Murray Supervisor of Records cc: Wheeler Cowperthwaite One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832• Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us