NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) – A state board has found that Newport’s police chief discriminated against an officer in his department because of the officer’s union activities.

Sgt. Peter Calo and the Newport Fraternal Order of Police filed the complaint charging unfair labor practices against Chief Charles Golden in October 2003. It accused him of discriminating against Calo by changing his shift, improperly denying a vacation request and twice attempting to have reviewing officers change Calo’s performance evaluation.

The complaint also stated Golden responded “Pete who?” and “Sgt. Who?” when Capt. Wayne Morrison recommended Calo as a possible training sergeant. Morrison testified that Golden also said, “Calo is finished as long as I’m here.”

The Labor Relations Board agreed in a report released Friday that Golden had violated the sergeant’s rights under the union’s contract with the city. The panel took no action, other than to order its report be posted in city buildings.

The report questioned Golden’s testimony that he remembered saying “Pete who?” but didn’t recall saying “Calo is finished.”

“The board does not find this testimony to be credible,” the report said. “It is not credible to believe that the chief can recall the meeting itself, can recall saying Pete who?’, but then not recall what happened next.”

Calo told The Newport Daily News that the report validated what the union has been saying about Golden for the past two years.

The union has publicly called for Golden’s ouster.

Golden told the newspaper he couldn’t comment because he hadn’t seen the report.

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Information from: The Newport Daily News

AP-ES-07-09-05 1054EDT