Former harbormaster says he was ‘wrongfully terminated

Former Harbormaster Thomas “T.J.” Ciarametaro says he was “wrongfully terminated” in the wake of revelations by Mayor Greg Verga of “wrongdoing” by the harbormaster’s office regarding forged signatures on standard contracts for two grant programs from the state Division of Marine Fisheries totaling $24,000.

“Regretfully, I have to report that I was wrongfully terminated from my position as Gloucester Harbormaster after seven years of superb service,” said Ciarametaro, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, in a prepared statement. “I have been unjustly dismissed following baseless accusations of misconduct, which have since been proven to be false.”

“The events leading to my termination began when I discovered discrepancies in city funds and equipment within the department,” said Ciarametaro, who credited the Waterways Board and harbormaster staff for accomplishments in the office, including digitizing operations, earning recognition from Marinas.com for creating a more welcoming port and collaborating with the Army Corps of Engineers on a project to dredge the Annisquam River.

Ciarametaro wrote he was fired by the city after catching one of his employees stealing cash from a locked drawer on camera, and turning him over to police under the city’s Whistleblower Protection Policy. He said he was broadsided by “retaliatory accusations” from this “disgruntled employee who had engaged in theft.” The allegations against him were quickly disproven, Ciarametaro said.

Ciarametaro did not name the employee but his statement came on the same day Gloucester District Court confirmed a criminal complaint had been issued by the Police Department against former Shellfish Warden Peter Seminara, charging him with larceny from a building after being caught on camera in February stealing $71 in cash from a locked drawer in the harbormaster’s office at 19 Harbor Loop, according to a police report and Ciarametaro’s report to Human Resources Director Holly Dougwillo.

On advice of police after a pattern of items and cash going missing from the office, Ciarametaro installed the cameras.

“I can’t respond to anything regarding my case as I have retained legal (counsel) beyond the representation afforded me by my union representatives,” Seminara said in an email.

No date has been scheduled for Seminara’s arraignment as the court clerk’s office said the case may be transferred to a different venue. This may be because the former shellfish warden and former harbormaster have appeared before the court in their official duties which have a law enforcement component. Seminara’s employment with the city ended last month.

Ciarametaro in his statement urged the administration to reconsider its decision and reinstate him.

“A claim surfaced regarding the forgery of a signature on a Department of Marine Fisheries Grant application that had already been approved by the Commonwealth,” he said. “I was not involved in such matter and denied any involvement in any such matter. Nonetheless, the mayor suspended me, unpaid, from my position.”

The city’s deputy harbormaster admitted to the forgery during a meeting at City Hall, Ciarametaro said. Even though the deputy harbormaster made clear Ciarametaro had no knowledge or involvement in the forgery, the mayor immediately fired him, the former harbormaster said.

In the statement, Ciarametaro does not name the deputy harbormaster, Chad Johnson, who has previously said he had been put on leave and said he had taken part in the forgery.

“There is no question he made a mistake,” Ciarametaro said.

The deputy harbormaster did not receive any of the money or seek to benefit personally from the grant, nor did anyone inside or outside the department, and the money went to the city’s sewage pump-out boat capabilities, Ciarametaro said of a $11,000 Clean Vessel Act grant.

“Nonetheless, I had no idea that the forgery had occurred and therefore had no ability to prevent it, let alone recognize it,” he said.

The harbormaster’s statement criticizes the Verga administration for the handling of his case, saying his one regret was “placing my full support behind the current mayor and his administrative staff, believing promises of transparency and accountability that have not come to fruition. I truly believed Mayor Verga would help Gloucester turn the page from the vacuum of accountability and transparency that infected the prior administration.”

In response to Ciarametaro’s statement, the mayor’s director of communications and constituent services, Pam Tobey, wrote in an email “We cannot comment on personnel matters.”

She said interim Harbormaster John McCarthy is preparing for the summer boating season with the harbormaster office’s staff.

“The mayor feels confident in former police Chief and City Councilor John McCarthy’s ability to step in as interim harbormaster for the city of Gloucester,” Tobey said. “John’s extensive experience as a city department head, background in public safety, and knowledge of maritime operations is the perfect combination to keep the ship moving forward.”

Verga had previously written to the City Council saying the city has been working closely with the state Division of Marine Fisheries to maintain the city’s good standing, and that he had “taken action and held the responsible parties within the Harbormaster’s Office accountable.”

Verga has also called for a management audit of the Harbormaster’s Office.