LORAIN — Two Lorain police officers suspended without pay for the past two months will be back on the city’s payroll today, and the city is trying to figure out what to do with them.

Officers Stanley Marrero and Jesus Sanchez, who both are under indictment, could be suspended without pay for only two months under state law.

“The (Ohio Revised Code) section that allowed us to place them on unpaid leave limits us to two months,” said Lorain Safety Director Phil Dore. “Whether we like it or not, they had to be placed on paid status.”

Marrero and Sanchez both had been suspended with pay since last year, when they were indicted on unrelated charges. The city placed them on unpaid leave April 30.

Marrero is charged with theft in office, menacing by stalking, intimidation of a witness, public indecency and dereliction of duty. He is accused of having sex with women while on duty and of failing to separate two women who were fighting over him.

Sanchez is charged with menacing by stalking for allegedly stalking a woman and trying to get sexual favors from her while on duty.

Sanchez has provided a signed affidavit in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the woman against the department as part of a settlement agreement.

Sanchez wrote in his affidavit that the department had an unofficial policy of ignoring sexually aggressive behavior by its officers.

The affidavit also accused several other officers of sexual misconduct while on duty.

Dore said he plans on meeting with Police Chief Cel Rivera and the city’s Law Department today to discuss whether the city should put the pair back to work while they await trial.

No matter what the decision, he said, neither will be on the road. But he also said the city can’t put them to work “mopping the floors,” either.

“It can’t be deemed as a disciplinary move,” Dore said. “Whatever we employ them to do has to be a job-related function. If we’re going to pay them, we’re going to work them.”

Marrero will again be paid $2,010 every two weeks, while Sanchez will earn $2,036 per pay period.

Dore said the city knew all along the men would be reinstated after two months of unpaid leave but suspended them anyway to save more than $20,000.

“It was in the best interest of the community to save that money,” he said. “It’s in the best interest that we don’t pay them, but unfortunately, we have to.”

Contact Stephen Szucs at 329-7129 or sszucs@chroniclet.com.

 

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