The Maine Human Rights Commission considered a retaliation complaint by Dennis Piccard alleging he was terminated in retaliation for reporting an alleged excessive‑force incident in Madawaska. Piccard described multiple reports he said he made to supervisors and to the attorney general, and he characterized his termination as retaliatory. He cited post‑termination proceedings, including an unemployment decision and review by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, as supporting his position.

Town counsel John Hamer told the commission the town's decision to fire Piccard turned on inconsistencies between Piccard's statements to an outside investigator and recorded interviews of three EMS witnesses. Hamer said two witnesses denied having the conversations Piccard described and a third had concerns but not the precise statements Piccard attributed. "The information provided was incorrect," Hamer said of Piccard's statements to investigators.

Investigator Jane O'Reilly summarized the investigative record and told commissioners that the investigation focused on whether the stated reason for termination was pretext for retaliation. O'Reilly said her review emphasized credibility issues and a lack of specific corroborating details in Piccard's accounts prior to termination.

Commissioner Ed (David) moved to find reasonable grounds to believe unlawful retaliation occurred under both the Maine Human Rights Act and the Whistleblowers Protection Act; Commissioner Douglas seconded. After robust debate, the vote was two in favor (Commissioners David and Douglas) and two opposed (Commissioners O'Brien and Sanders). The tie reverted to the investigator's recommended finding of no reasonable grounds. The commission will send letters to parties confirming the result.

Commission discussion highlighted the tension between concerns about excessive force raised by EMS testimony and the agency's limited role in adjudicating underlying use‑of‑force claims; multiple commissioners said the matter raised credibility questions that could be litigated further outside this forum.