Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-08
'Gydkun Plans
Appeal toSeaton
On Promotion
Park Policeman Set
To Continue Bottle
Despite New .eehuff

4lS Case 81 lar has involved
charges that Sergt. Gyakum was
not sufficiently loyal to the
police force and countercharges
that the chief of police was de-
handing personal loyalty to
himself.
Assistant Secretary of the In
terror D. Otis Beasley announced
yesterday that Sergt. Gyakum S
latest appeal had been denied
because he is considered "un-
suitable for promotion to the
rank of lieutenant"
Mr.. BeaSley said the depart
ment acted studying and APP
proving recommendations of a
Ithree-man department grievance
committee. The committe. set
up after Sergt. Gaykum took his
case to Federal Court, has just
concluded seven full days OF
hearings, in which it took liza
pages of testimony.
Sergt. Gyakum's attorney
Bernard Margolius. called the
latest action a "whitewash' of
the case and said he will appeal
the decision directly to the Sec
Iretary of the Interior. After that,
he said. he will proceed with his
pending suit in District Court
to prevent the department from
appointing anyone but Sergt.
Gyakum to the vacant lieuten-
ancy.
Promotions Start Fight
The dispute. which has had
extensive publicity. goes back to
last November, when the Park
Police and its parent group. Ma
tional Capital Parks, which is
a bureau of the Interior Depart
ment. announced six promotions
Although Sergt. Gyakum was
top man on a promotional reg
ister-and the only one of three
candidates to have scored an
initial passing grade on quail
flying examination - he was
passed over. Another sergeant
received the appointment to the
lieutenancy.
Sergt. Gyakum, a veteran of
II years on the force. brought
suit in the U. S. District Court
| for the District of Columbia
against the Interior Department.
He won a temporary order re-
straining the department from
putting the promotions into
effect.
The court said the sergeant
should exhaust all administrative
remedies before it heard the suit
to enjoin the department from
appointing anyone else to the
lieutenancy.
Assistant Secretary Beasley
then ordered the Park Police
eligibility list cancelled, set up
the three-man board to hear
Sergt. Gyakum's grievance. or
dered a review of Park Police
Ipromotional procedures and di-
Irected that a new examination
for the disputed post be given
He later withdrew the last direc-
tive.
Justification Found
The three-man panel took
testimony from many members
of the force and from officers of
the department and the Civil
Service Commission. They found
that:
/. Contrary to Sergt. Gya-
kum's contention, there was
authority for adding Is points to
the score of each officer who
took the examination so that
all, rather than just Sergt. Gya-
KUN. would receive a passing
grade.
2. Again contrary to the SER
geant's contention. there was
authority to select other than
the highest numerically rated
applicant" for the lieutenancy.
3. The question of whether the
promotion which was ordered
was in the best interest of the
Park Police force need not be
considered" in the light of the
findings on issues No. / and No. 2.
The panel admitted that the
past practice Of always picking
the top-rated man for promotion
had resulted in the general be-
lief among police officers that
such practice was mandatory.
1t recommended that the
promotion policy be clarified,
that the promotion boards au-
thority be more clearly identi-
fed and that definite procedures
for scoring examination papers
be set. 1t said these improve
ments would help end admins
tiative confusion"
attitude" Ignored
The panel did not rule on "the
attitude and conduct of Sergt.
Gyakum" toward Park Police
Chief Harold F.. Stewart, sore
point in the case. The panel
said that. although it had re-
ceived extensive testimony on
the subject, it did not believe
1t necessary to consider it.
But Assistant Secretary Beas-
ley said the Department had
concluded there was much sub
stance" to testimony that Sergt.
Gyakum had made "derogatory
remarks concerning the manage
ment Of the Park Police" and
about Chief Stewart.
No documentary evidence was
introduced TO the hearing. how
ever. that Sergt. Gyakum had
ever been cited or disciplined for
INSTRUMENTATION or any other Of
tense.
Chief Stewart Who hafi isetipd