West Penn Township has received interest in its vacant chief of police position.

Several applications have also been submitted for full-time police officer positions, supervisors said Tuesday morning.

Resident Delroy Haas asked if the board had more information on the police department.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti explained where the situation stands.

“We have a couple applications for chief and for full-time,” Prudenti said. “We are still looking for part-time (police officers).”

Prudenti said interviews haven’t been conducted.

Haas then asked if there’s any more information they can share on the police chief.

“Not at this time,” Prudenti said.

Last week, supervisors terminated the employment of police Chief James Bonner, and accepted the resignation of part-time officer Richton Penn.

The board voted unanimously Monday to dismiss Bonner, who had been on paid administrative suspension since Sept. 4.

Reasons for his termination, however, were not discussed.

Township solicitor Paul J. Datte read a statement on behalf of the board before the vote. In it, he noted that the firing had nothing to do with a lawsuit filed against the township by Bonner’s wife (Carla Fritz) in July.

Datte noted that the township conducted an investigation and informed Bonner of the results. Bonner was given an opportunity to respond and provide his side of the story at a recent hearing, Datte said.

At that point, supervisors voted unanimously to fire Bonner, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the year. He was hired as chief in October 2021 but had worked for the township since 2016.

Supervisors appointed Sgt. John Kaczmarczyk as sergeant-in-charge after putting Bonner on leave last month.

During the public comment portion of last week’s meeting, a resident noted that many rumors regarding Bonner and Fritz’s lawsuit are circulating.

Asked by the resident if more information would surface, Datte said “there could be, but not at this time.”

The board voted to advertise to fill the vacant chief position.

As for the lawsuit, Fritz alleged the township violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and other federal and state laws while she was employed as support staff for the police department.

The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. In it, Fritz alleges discriminatory and retaliatory actions made after she was diagnosed with anxiety led to her termination in October 2023.

In her lawsuit, Fritz is seeking several forms of relief, including back pay and benefits, compensation for emotional pain and suffering, and punitive damages.