Fall River’s First Female Police Chief Alleges Forced Retirement, Prepares Whistleblower Lawsuit Against City

Retired Fall River Police Chief Kelly Furtado claims she was publicly attacked by members of the City Council, the victim of false information and forced into retirement. Those are just some of the claims by Fall River’s first female police chief in a five-page notice of Furtado’s intention of suing the city under the Massachusetts Whistleblower Protection Act.

The Fall River Reporter obtained the letter through a public records request which was sent by Furtado’s attorney, Needham-based Timothy M. Burke, to Mayor Paul Coogan on July 2.

The notice of a possible lawsuit was received a little more than a month before former Police Chief Paul Gauvin, the primary target of Furtado’s whistleblower claims, had his termination reduced to a 90-day suspension by the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission on Aug. 6.

Civil service investigation conflict with claims in possible lawsuit

The commission found Gauvin’s termination in April 2025 for alleged misconduct was inappropriate and he is expected to return to rank of captain. 

Gauvin stepped down as police chief in October 2024 after a vote of no confidence by the department’s patrol officers and superior officers a month before and after a 90-page report by an outside agency that reviewed Furtado’s claims against Gauvin were released to the public.

Sources with knowledge with the FRPD allege the votes of no confidence were in part orchestrated by Furtado who allegedly made an unsuccessful attempt to do the same with former Police Chief Jeffrey Cardoza. The sources asked not to be identified.

Much of the claims against Gauvin that prompted his termination were generated by a host of accusations by Furtado and the ones she cites in her whistleblower claim against the City.

Among the claims Furtado lodged against “former Chief Gauvin and his associates:”

• Improper compensation and accrued time practices
• Missing and/or unaccounted for department property
• Retaliatory conduct directed toward department personnel

The commission found that the termination went too far and dismissed several of the accusations against Gauvin.

It did find, however, that Gauvin “engaged in misconduct that warrants discipline,” and gave him a 90-day retroactive suspension.

Gauvin is still facing an investigation by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission.

Acting FRPD Chief J.T. Hoar said he’ll forward the civil service findings.

“The Civil Service decision will be forwarded to the POST Commission for its final review and determination regarding Captain Gauvin’s certification status. It is our intention to place Captain Gauvin on paid administrative leave while the POST Commission completes its review. If his certification is reinstated, we will work with him to develop an appropriate in-service training and reintegration plan,” according to Hoar in an email.

Gauvin’s POST certification expired July 1, 2025.

In his notice letter, Burke also requests Furtado’s personnel records and a demand that the city preserve any evidence relating to Furtado, including personal cell phones, personal email accounts, and social media accounts.

In response, City of Fall River’s Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey sent out an email on Thursday, July 23, notifying all nine Fall River City Councilors that “Kelly Furtado, the former chief of police, is contemplating legal action arising from her employment with the Fall River Police Department” under the Whistleblower Protection Act.

A knife, bullet and a claim of “constructive discharge”

A notable claim against Gauvin by Furtado, and one mentioned in the attorney’s notice letter and in the outside investigation, was the retired chief’s assertion that she found a knife and bullet in the desk located in the chief’s office after being named as interim chief.

“Chief Furtado advised investigators that she interpreted the items as a threat and stated: “that’s a threat” and “that’s to me, that’s, oh, you’re a backstabber. You’re going to get a bullet.”

The letter goes on to say that Furtado fulfilled her duties as police chief by “ensuring that allegations of misconduct were properly investigated and documented.”

“Instead of being commended for protecting the integrity of the Department and safeguarding public resources, she became the target of escalating retaliation, public attacks, interference with her employment relationship, and efforts to force her from office,” according to Furtado’s attorney.

It was allegedly an environment that led to the constructive discharge of Furtado who retired after nearly 40 years on the police force.

According to the Cornell University Law School’s Legal Information Institute, a constructive discharge is defined as when an employee quits their job in response to working conditions that are so poor that no reasonable person would stay and could be the legal basis for a wrongful termination lawsuit.