A federal jury came to a verdict in Williamsport in a civil rights trial of a former and now-retired police lieutenant that lawsuits he filed against the city were not a motivating factor for him not receiving promotion to assistant police chief under two mayors.

Steven Helm, the now-retired police lieutenant and plaintiff in the civil case, alleged that former Mayor Gabriel J. Campana and Mayor Derek Slaughter “separately and independently” retaliated against him by refusing to promote him.

Helm filed one count against each and claimed he should have been selected as assistant chief in 2019 and that Campana declined to promote him. When the assistant chief position came open under Slaughter’s administration, the current mayor selected another candidate in 2020.

The suit includes the City of Williamsport as a defendant.

Helm argued he was the most qualified candidate because he had more “supervisory experience.”

Campana’s testimony was based on a lack of compatibility between Helm’s management style and his own preferences, while Slaughter’s testimony pointed out a preference for candidates with strong formal educational credentials and stronger backgrounds in the area of community policing, according to Sean E. Summers’ brief to the court.

Helm was represented by Michael J. Zicolello of Schemery Zicolello.

In returning the verdict form jurors said “yes,” when asked did Helm prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Campana and Slaughter were acting under color of state law when they did not promote Helm to assistant police chief.

Jurors also affirmed that Helm proved that he engaged in activity protected by the First Amendment when he filed civil rights lawsuits against the city and some of its officials in 2017 and 2018.

Jurors also said “yes” when asked did Helm prove by a preponderance of evidence that his protected activity was a factor that motivated Campana’s decision not to appoint Helm to assistant police chief in September 2019.

Additionally, the jury affirmed the defendants’ proof based on most evidence that Campana would have treated Helm the same event if Helm’s protected activity had played no role in the employment decision.

However, the jurors said “no” when asked did Helm prove by a preponderance of the evidence that his protected activity was a factor that motivated Slaughter’s decision not to appoint him to assistant police chief in October 2020.

The jurors said “yes” when asked if Helm proved by a preponderance of the evidence that the city has an official custom of allowing its mayors who they appoint as the assistant police chief.

The case was presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge William I. Arbuckle.