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Liberty fires township firefighter
Liberty
The township administration terminated a 14-year firefighter Thursday in a letter delivered to him that was endorsed by 13 of his peers.
The letter said township officials found James Thompson guilty of “malfeasance and misconduct in office.”
Thompson signed a disciplinary last-chance agreement Dec. 8 after returning from a four-month paid leave, according to Thompson’s personnel file.
Within a week of returning to work, on Dec. 12, the township again placed him on administrative leave.
The termination letter cites Thompson’s tardiness and that he “intentionally and continually created and fostered a hostile and contemptuous work environment and working relationship” with fellow firefighters.
In a memo written by firefighters to township officials, firefighters say they feared a physical confrontation with Thompson.
One firefighter, the memo says, requested a leave of absence “to avoid the danger of attending work.”
Thompson’s behavior, the termination letter reads, was a violation of the last-chance agreement he had signed with the township.
The last-chance agreement also called for Thompson to attend behavioral-counseling programs.
“It’s really unfortunate,” said Pat Ungaro, the township administrator. “We did everything we could do to make it work.”
Ungaro noted that the fire department already had hired a replacement firefighter.
“I have to react to the majority of the fire department,” Fire Chief Michael Durkin said.
He said 12 of the 15 full-time firefighters signed the letter along with one part-time worker.
Thompson could not be reached Friday to comment.
It was the third try by the township to terminate Thompson since he joined the department in 1997.
The first was in 2004 and the second in 2007. Both times his termination went to arbitration and was negotiated to a lesser punishment.
Throughout his career, he picked up criminal convictions. According to Mahoning County court records, Thompson has criminal convictions, including charges of operating a vehicle while impaired and one misdemeanor concealed-weapon charge in 2003, which eventually landed him on unpaid leave for 90 days, according to his personnel file.