Family of Late Ex-Dartmouth Cop to Decide on Lawsuit

DARTMOUTH — The family of a former Dartmouth police officer who died in October has 60 days to appoint a representative, and then decide if they will drop the discrimination lawsuit he took out against the town and various officials in 2016.

Frank Condez III died on Oct. 29 at 48 years old — and on Monday, a Superior Court justice ordered that his appointed representative has until Feb. 28, 2022 to either continue or dismiss the complaint.

Condez's termination from the Dartmouth Police Department in 2014 stemmed from accusations of child abuse and exploitation he had leveled at then-chief Timothy Lee that were later found to be baseless, according to court documents.

Get our free mobile app

The former Dartmouth Police Union president was put on leave prior to his termination while he was investigated for allegedly installing illegal software on department computers.

He was also being investigated in relation to his department-issued firearm going missing in 2013.

Condez claimed in the lawsuit that these and other actions constituted retaliatory discrimination and harassment for a prior complaint he had filed against a colleague.

The complaint named Lee along with former Town Administrator David Cressman, various Select Board members, and other officials.

It requested the town pay damages, attorneys' fees, and court costs.

Condez also ran unsuccessfully for Shawn McDonald's select board seat in 2019.

According to his obituary, he served on the Dartmouth Police Department for 20 years and earned a degree in Applied Criminal Justice Technology from UMass Amherst in 2018.

After the Dec. 27 conference, the Superior Court judge noted that Condez's family must appoint a personal representative by the end of February.

The representative will be able to file paperwork to continue or dismiss the complaint.