KINGSVILLE TOWNSHIP — A disciplinary hearing for Kingsville Township Fire Chief Richard “Chip” Laugen played out behind closed doors Wednesday night but not before several people expressed support for the embattled chief and his department.
Trustees had intended to conduct the hearing in public, and more than 50 people were on hand to hear sworn testimony. However, Laugen — through attorney Leo Talikka — requested the hearing be held in executive session to spare the township further turmoil.
“It’s very, very disturbing to see the community as divided as we are today,” Talikka said. “(Laugen) doesn’t want to have the community divided or scarred.”
“Tough questions” would be asked of witnesses at the hearing, and Laugen didn’t want them embarrassed, Talikka said.
“We don’t want to divide the community any further than it is divided now,” he said. “Emotions can run very, very high. We don’t want to cause irreversible damage.”
Trustee Dennis Huey said Laugen was entitled to have his hearing conducted in private. Trustees would make no decision on the testimony Wednesday, he said.
A ruling on the matter could come at the trustees’ Oct. 22 regular meeting, if not sooner, said Trustee Doug Reed. “We want to start making closure on this,” he said.
Trustees are investigating more than a dozen allegations of misconduct against Laugen, which surfaced earlier this year. Laugen was placed on paid administrative leave last month while the matter is examined.
During the trustees’ regular meeting, which preceded the disciplinary hearing, many in the crowd voiced support for Laugen. People called him “a leader” and a “consummate professional,” and denounced the allegations as “spiteful,” “ridiculous” and “despicable.” Some were critical of a citizens committee that examined the allegations, calling the investigation biased and one-sided.
At a Sunday afternoon rally for Laugen and the department, some Kingsville firefighters said they would resign if the chief were terminated. A few repeated that stance Wednesday.
Some in the audience responded that the firefighters’ first duty is to the community they protect, not one man. Mutual aid agreements with neighboring departments ensure Kingsville will have fire protection, even if many firefighters resign, Huey said.
Firefighters spoke of “back-stabbing” and vindictive behavior among firefighter volunteers. One firefighter said he can rely on only three members to come to his aid during an emergency.
Because of publicity, the Kingsville department is a “laughingstock” around the county, one resident said. “We want our fire department to work together and be a team,” she said.
Some in the crowd blasted anonymous letters circulated through the township, as well as a Web site they said contains inflammatory information. The authors are “cowards,” people said.
“We’re not going to be intimidated by a small group of people and their fear mongering,” Huey said. “We hope no one resigns. You’ll only be hurting your friends and neighbors.”
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Disciplinary hearing for Kingsville fire chief held behind closed doors
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