Former LCSO captain aims to clear his name

A former Lee County Sheriff captain will have a chance to clear his name Tuesday.

Former Special Operations Capt. Dominick Ferrante, who resigned in March amid Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott’s allegations of untruthfulness, will have a civil service hearing at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the old courthouse in downtown Fort Myers.

News-press.com will have live video from the hearing.

Ferrante said he was forced into resignation by coercion and threat of termination. Ferrante said Scott violated his law-enforcement officer rights.

Scott maintains that if Ferrante wanted to fight the allegations — that Ferrante used the word 'retaliate' in an exchange with another captain and then failed a polygraph test — he should not have resigned.

Ferrante’s hearing is just the beginning of several upcoming Fort Myers hearings. A second hearing, for Capt. Scott Ciresi, will be held Wednesday.

Ciresi remains employed at the sheriff's office. In his case, he is alleging he was demoted from major of Special Operations to captain of Echo district patrol — suffering a $21,000 pay cut — for no legitimate reason. The sheriff has said it was part of the agency's reorganization.

Former Intelligence Lt. Lee Bushong, Ferrante's subordinate who was fired earlier this year for calling a co-worker names, will have a civil service hearing on June 2.

Ferrante, Ciresi and Bushong’s outcomes happened within weeks of each other, and just before the sheriff announced he was investigating his chief deputy, Charles Ferrante, for allegations of bullying and attempting to tamper with public records.
Charles Ferrante then retired.

If a board clears Bushong and Ferrante, they could potentially win their jobs back or at least make it easier to move forward in law enforcement careers elsewhere.

Regardless of Doms attitude and arrogance he was still a part of the agency and deserves to voice his case! He represents all of those below the sheriff who at anytime can be tossed aside like yesterdays trash! Mike decided a polygraph was the only solution to resolve an issue amongst top brass! It was done for no reason other than ridding the department of liars and bullys! Mike will not tolerate liars and bullys here at LCSO!Over his term Mike has always been honest ,fair,and loyal!Im sure if asked he would have no problem taking a polygraph if his honesty was in question! :roll:

Mike refused to afford Dom an internal investigation then forces him to a poly with no report and a malfunctioned audio tape, I agree he deserves a chance to voice his case. I am being told that he will not be allowed to present evidence, witnesses or testimony at his hearing if this is true we are all in trouble and better get a union in here fast.




Regardless of Doms attitude and arrogance he was still a part of the agency and deserves to voice his case! He represents all of those below the sheriff who at anytime can be tossed aside like yesterdays trash! Mike decided a polygraph was the only solution to resolve an issue amongst top brass! It was done for no reason other than ridding the department of liars and bullys! Mike will not tolerate liars and bullys here at LCSO!Over his term Mike has always been honest ,fair,and loyal!Im sure if asked he would have no problem taking a polygraph if his honesty was in question! :roll:

That hearing was an absolute joke..I'm not saying that I agree or dis-agree with Ferrante .
However, What was the point of the hearing if they refuse to hear what he had to say ?

This is why You need Union, this would of never even got this far to go to this useless board , He would of been represented immediately without all this fake hearing bull.

The one thing that did occur was the Ferrante set a landmark in motion that No One will ever be heard here in Lee county by any board of unbiased decisions, Because there is no such thing.

I give credit to those who tried to remove themselves to make a fair hearing, However one would not hear of it, How sad is that when another deputy refuses to judge and he is told he has to if he's on that stupid board of fake balance justice. Now this will go to civil court and last another 20 years and all those who were following in Ferrantes steps to the board just made a U turn..

I'm not a Dom fan, first of all. However I do not agree with the above posters that Dom should have been given a hearing. When he resigned, he took that away from himself. He knew the civil service board rules. If you resign, then you can't appeal. You have to appeal within 15 days. IF he would have appealed within 15 days, then maybe he would have had a chance. He declined, once again, to follow the rules. If he believes he was in a hostile work environment and was forced out, that's what the State's Human Relations Commission is for.I do agree however that RB's father should have recused himself.

I'm not a Dom fan, first of all. However I do not agree with the above posters that Dom should have been given a hearing. When he resigned, he took that away from himself. He knew the civil service board rules. If you resign, then you can't appeal. You have to appeal within 15 days. IF he would have appealed within 15 days, then maybe he would have had a chance. He declined, once again, to follow the rules. If he believes he was in a hostile work environment and was forced out, that's what the State's Human Relations Commission is for.I do agree however that RB's father should have recused himself.

He did try to resuse himself the chairman wouldn't allow it.

As for following the rules: This is a double standard and dammed if you do and dammed if don't..
Resign- Have the opportunity to challenge later with documented support. Saving face and your career, Not your job but career.

Terminatione- Legal and HR will agree that once you are terminated the reason can be anything the terminator wants, Ruining you for life. When terminations are performed they are in writing, you are ask to sign it, If you dis-agree, They will say then just sign Refused, Once your pen hits that paper you have acknowledge the terminations and it's reasons.

This is one of the reason the Civil board will rarely agree to a hearing or find cause to withdrawal a terminations.

A civil service board has denied a hearing for a former Lee County sheriff’s captain.

Dominick Ferrante, former sheriff’s Special Operations captain, resigned in March, claiming irreconcilable differences.

In May, he requested a civil service hearing for reinstatement, claiming he was forced to resign under duress and false pretenses.

The sheriff’s office contends that Ferrante is not entitled to a hearing because Ferrante resigned and because he filed his petition too late.

The board today swiftly agreed and voted it does not have jurisdiction to have a hearing for Ferrante.

“Do you think that was fair. I was not asking anything more than the dozens of rapists and drug dealers and killers I’ve arrested over the years, the right to defend myself in an open forum,” Ferrante said

I watched it on the news-press live and it was a joke, they wouldn't even let the Captain submitt any evidence, witnesses, the Board never recieved any of his documents and he never recieved documents from the Sheriff's Attorney. Mr. Bell refused on his own accord (Pompous / Arrogant like his son) to excuse himself from the board even after Captain Powell suggested it. The Board wouldn't even grant him a continuance and let's not forget the Sheriff's wife works for the Boards Chairman. We are in trouble and better get a union in here fast, it's obvious they could do whatever they want to us and get away with it.

I don't want to sound gay or anything but Dominick Ferrante is HOT. :devil:

I watched it on the news-press live and it was a joke, they wouldn't even let the Captain submitt any evidence, witnesses, the Board never recieved any of his documents and he never recieved documents from the Sheriff's Attorney. Mr. Bell refused on his own accord (Pompous / Arrogant like his son) to excuse himself from the board even after Captain Powell suggested it. The Board wouldn't even grant him a continuance and let's not forget the Sheriff's wife works for the Boards Chairman. We are in trouble and better get a union in here fast, it's obvious they could do whatever they want to us and get away with it.


Well put Road guy! After all the effort the Ferrantes put in to get Mike elected he repays them with a knife in the back! This should be a wake up call for all employed here at the LCSO! Mike is loyal to none,and can do whatever he wants, to whoever he wants,whenever he wants!

Well put Road guy! After all the effort the Ferrantes put in to get Mike elected he repays them with a knife in the back! This should be a wake up call for all employed here at the LCSO! Mike is loyal to none,and can do whatever he wants, to whoever he wants,whenever he wants!

I believe there were others involved in the effort... Making it sound like the Ferrantes singlehandedly won the election would be likening it to Rod Shoap saying he didn't need anyone else's help, he had VanBibber. Oh! And let's not forget all the voters who made their voices heard. I think they had something to do with it, too.

I think Mike has learned what feeling "obligated" to campaign supporters can get you and is correcting those mistakes here in his second term. "Now I can do whatever I want, to whoever I want, whenever I want" were the exact words were uttered by the former Chief at an election party.

There were a lot of us who had been with the agency for years scratching our heads when the selection for Chief Deputy and Major of Patrol were announced. Even more when Dom was brought back as a Captain.

Mike is in the process of correcting some poor choices. If he wants another term, I'm sure he can have it without the aid of the Ferrantes.

Your right now Ramsey, Bowden and the guy in Alva is calling the shots, at least the Farrante's and Caresi watched our back and were real cops. Watch how many of us get thrown under the bus now for politics.




Well put Road guy! After all the effort the Ferrantes put in to get Mike elected he repays them with a knife in the back! This should be a wake up call for all employed here at the LCSO! Mike is loyal to none,and can do whatever he wants, to whoever he wants,whenever he wants!

I believe there were others involved in the effort... Making it sound like the Ferrantes singlehandedly won the election would be likening it to Rod Shoap saying he didn't need anyone else's help, he had VanBibber. Oh! And let's not forget all the voters who made their voices heard. I think they had something to do with it, too.

I think Mike has learned what feeling "obligated" to campaign supporters can get you and is correcting those mistakes here in his second term. "Now I can do whatever I want, to whoever I want, whenever I want" were the exact words were uttered by the former Chief at an election party.

There were a lot of us who had been with the agency for years scratching our heads when the selection for Chief Deputy and Major of Patrol were announced. Even more when Dom was brought back as a Captain.

Mike is in the process of correcting some poor choices. If he wants another term, I'm sure he can have it without the aid of the Ferrantes.

Your right now Ramsey, Bowden and the guy in Alva is calling the shots, at least the Farrante's and Caresi watched our back and were real cops. Watch how many of us get thrown under the bus now for politics.

Don't know Ramsey well enough to comment, and don't even know who "the guy in Alva" is - but Bowden is about as straight a shooter as they come. As long as you're doing your job, he won't hurt you.

[karma4all]

Your right now Ramsey, Bowden and the guy in Alva is calling the shots, at least the Farrante's and Caresi watched our back and were real cops. Watch how many of us get thrown under the bus now for politics.

Don't know Ramsey well enough to comment, and don't even know who "the guy in Alva" is - but Bowden is about as straight a shooter as they come. As long as you're doing your job, he won't hurt you.

Sounds like you've spent a little too much time polishing knobs, girl. Those guys will stab anyone they need to get ahead. Even your precious fun bags won't help you then!

Enough about work, how about you and I go get a drink? Whaddaya say?

You may want to keep in mind that she does carry a gun !
You and Jim on the other blog are real pigs and obviously, intimidated by females, Seems to me that she can carry her own here and the rest of you really hate that, You really need to hope she's not your back up if she knows who you are..

da guy in "alva' so i heard has a chekerd past and it aint good. yous guys should chek it out, down by the 'village' there might be a 'market' if you no wat i mean, fogetabout it.

Sounds like you've spent a little too much time polishing knobs, girl. Those guys will stab anyone they need to get ahead. Even your precious fun bags won't help you then!

Enough about work, how about you and I go get a drink? Whaddaya say?

Never polished anything but my own boots, but thanks for your concern. I'm always down for a drink!!

You may want to keep in mind that she does carry a gun !
You and Jim on the other blog are real pigs and obviously, intimidated by females, Seems to me that she can carry her own here and the rest of you really hate that, You really need to hope she's not your back up if she knows who you are..

Karma, this is a "famliy affair" - 'scuse the pun. I'm enjoying slinging with my brothers, no matter what side of the opinion fence we live on. Why yes, yes I can carry my own, but my brothers have nothing to fear from me. And I certainly take offense at even the thought they'd need to worry about me being their back up. I'd lay down my life for any one of them as I know they would for me. Thanks for trying to defend me, but I don't need to be defended from them. We're all a little piggish regardless of gender. Comes with the job, but you wouldn't understand that. Any woman in this field who gets easily offended and/or can't sling it good naturedly with the rest of 'em don't belong.