Delco’s director of emergency services has been suspended amid allegations of sexual harassment, ageism

Delaware County’s director of emergency services, Tim Boyce, has been placed on administrative leave after a former employee accused him in early April of groping her and forcibly kissing her in his office, county officials said Wednesday.

Another employee alleged in January that Boyce paid her less and created a hostile working environment for her because of his “sexist hiring practices involving younger women,” according to a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Boyce, 60, was put on leave April 25, the day county council members were first made aware of the sexual harassment allegations, according to County Council Chairperson Monica Taylor. His deputy, Ed Beebe, has taken over management of the department in his absence.

Efforts to reach Boyce were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Boyce has served as director of emergency services since 2016, overseeing 125 employees, coordinating responses by fire and police departments, and running the county’s 911 dispatch center. Before his time with the county, Boyce worked as a homeland security coordinator with the county district attorney’s office, and a deputy chief with the Upper Darby Fire Department.

The woman who accused him of sexual harassment wrote in an EEOC complaint that Boyce had been a longtime friend of her family. He hired her in December as a part-time coordinator in his department, but promoted her a month later to be his executive assistant, moving her to an office adjacent to his.

She contended this was part of a widely known practice of his to hire and promote “attractive young women, regardless of job description or ability.”

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During her time working with Boyce, the woman said, he often made inappropriate comments to her, saying she was “very intriguing” and “had a nice ass,” according to her complaint.

On Jan. 30, she said, Boyce called her into his office and pulled her toward him, grabbing her face and cheeks in an attempt to kiss her, the complaint said. The woman turned her head, causing Boyce to kiss her neck instead while asking whether he could touch her backside. He then groped her as she walked away.

The woman said she was shocked and emotionally devastated by his behavior, and quit her job shortly after. She later confronted him by text message, telling him she was disgusted that he had used “his power as a predatory male and boss” to take advantage of her.

The complaint said Boyce responded to that text, apologizing and saying he never intended to harm her.

Taylor, the county council chair, said in an interview Wednesday that the county took the allegations seriously and moved quickly to address them.

“When the allegations were brought forward to us, they were very serious, and we wanted to make sure there’s an environment where people feel safe to come forward and disclose any concerns or allegations they may have,” she said. “Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated in this county.”

A lawyer representing both women who filed complaints against Boyce, Mark Schwartz, said Wednesday that he also notified District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer on April 2, the day he filed the sexual-harassment complaints with the EEOC.

Representatives for Stollsteimer and State Attorney General Michelle Henry said the investigation was later referred to Henry’s office to avoid any conflicts of interest; county investigators often work closely with the department Boyce oversees.

Schwartz said he filed the first complaint, about the allegations of ageism, in January, when a county worker complained about working conditions under Boyce. The woman, who is 67, wrote that Boyce placed her in a shared cubicle with another older woman and cut back her working hours in favor of younger, more attractive female employees.

After not hearing back from the county, and being contacted by the second woman for her sexual-harassment claim, Schwartz said he reached out to Stollsteimer out of frustration.

Schwartz said that since Boyce’s suspension was made public, additional county employees have reached out to him about their own issues with Boyce’s management. Schwartz said he was in the process Wednesday of finalizing a third EEOC complaint, but declined to provide additional details.