FBI joins investigation into noose found at Allentown City Hall

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The FBI is working with Allentown police to investigate reports that a Black employee found a noose at her desk last week.

City Council President Cynthia Mota announced federal investigators' involvement Wednesday, two days after dozens protested outside City Hall, demanding the FBI to take over the probe into what many have called a hate crime.

Protest organizer Josie Lopez and community activist Pas Simpson urged those at Monday’s demonstration to flood the FBI’s tip line.

“It worked,” Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach told LehighValleyNews.com on Wednesday night. “I’m hoping that justice will be served now that we have federal resources.”

Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach credited residents for working to get the FBI involved after Allentown police said Monday they were “making progress” investigating the noose without federal assistance.

“I honestly believe that the reason why the FBI is working with our police is because residents of Allentown escalated it to the FBI,” she said.

Gerlach said she doesn’t know when federal authorities joined the investigation, criticizing a lack of communication from administration and police officials about any developments or progress with the investigation.

“But it does bring some measure of relief that at least it's not going to be up to a local police department to do something of such great magnitude as investigating a noose,” Gerlach said.

Lopez on Monday read a list of demands that also included officials reopening an independent investigation into claims of workplace discrimination and racism by and against city employees.

City Council on Wednesday night introduced a bill that could open a new investigation and close Curtis’ investigation.

'Somebody has to be held accountable'

Community activist Pas Simpson on Monday criticized the Allentown Police Department for saying officers were investigating “a small item resembling a noose” found at City Hall.

Simpson on Wednesday decried “a culture … of discrimination that is plaguing our city” and said officials have a “responsibility to provide safety for its citizens.”

“We don’t know what’s going to happen next, but we do know that we need change,” Simpson said.

Resident Don Ringer, who followed Simpson at the podium, called for that change to include the ousting of Mayor Matt Tuerk and Police Chief Charles Roca.

“Somebody has to be held accountable in this city for what the hell is going on right now. It’s ridiculous what’s going on right now,” Ringer said before calling attention to Tuerk’s absence from the meeting.

“Where’s our mayor tonight? This is an important meeting. Is the mayor here? Did anybody see the mayor?” Ringer said. “He doesn’t even show up tonight. It’s unbelievable.”

He also questioned Roca’s leadership in the wake of rape and sex-trafficking charges against two Allentown officers.

Jason Krasley, 47, and Evan Weaver, 45, are accused of sexually assaulting the same woman multiple times between 2011 and 2015, when they served on the Allentown Police Department’s Vice and Intelligence Unit.

was transferred to patrol as K9 handler in 2011 up until 2012 when I was promoted to patrol sergeant . In 2015 I was transferred from patrol to vice as supervisor. In 2016 I was promoted and transferred to patrol lieutenant.

Roca was a vice detective from 2002 to 2011. He was promoted to patrol sergeant in 2012 then transferred to be a vice supervisor in 2015, Roca said Thursday, correcting information pulled from his LinkedIn page and the city's website.

“The job of the chief is one that has its ups and downs,” Roca told LehighValleyNews.com after Wednesday's meeting.

“I understand there's a lot of frustration in the city, but I'm gonna continue to show up,” he said.