Texas Tea, Police And A Follow Up. . .

To the police firings because they were members of the Tawakoni Area Tea Party. The city released a listing of abuses they said the officers were guilty of.

Schultz and Beckett are both on paid administrative leave while they appeal their terminations.

The termination notices obtained indicate the duo’s involvement in the Tea Party was considered “prohibited political activity” under the city’s employee personnel policies manual. The mayor said the men spoke and advocated against the city council and supported a petition against the mayor as part of their participating in the party.

The two men weren’t just fired for their involvement in the Tea Party, however.

The termination memos mention other alleged infractions by both law enforcement officers including accusations that Schultz drove city equipment to obtain medical treatment, screamed at another city employee in the City Hall parking lot within earshot of the public, lied to federal agents during an investigation, drank booze at a public park and restaurant, drove while intoxicated, slouched at city council meetings, and didn’t discipline Beckett for holding naked pool parties at Beckett’s house.

Besides holding naked pool parties and joining the Tea Party, Beckett’s termination memo also said he drank alcohol in a public park and restaurant, asked a subordinate to follow he and his wife home after they drank too much, didn’t pay his water bill in time, and didn’t properly maintain investigative files and evidence.

Slouching at city council meetings?

I'm not sure what naked pool parties has to do with his ability to be police officer. What a person does in his own time is his own business, IYKWIMAITYD. Unless there is some "Pillar of the Community" type clause in his contract.

The drinking on duty, however, is the serious charge. I'm assuming that it was on duty. If it was off duty, it would hinge on the clause I just speculated about. But that and that alone should be grounds for removal.

The big question remains is why is the Tea Party still listed as part of the reason why Beckett was fired. That shouldn't have been listed at all.

Previously:
Police Officers Fired For Being TEA Party Members?
Follow Up On The Texas Police Officers

Follow Up On The Texas Police Officers. . .

Who just happened to be members of their local Tea Party and were fired recently. The story given so far is that it's because of budget cuts, not political connections, is why the officers where handed their walking papers.

But why the two involved with the Tea Party and not others? It's not paranoia when they really are out to get you.

. . . West Tawakoni Mayor Pete Yoho has fired Officer Johnny Beckett from the city’s police department and also suspended for ten days without pay Police Chief Jack Schultz, after which he will be terminated. The offense alleged is that the two officers belong the Tawakoni Area Tea Party. West Tawakoni is a small town in eastern Texas with a population of about 1,500 people. In Hunt County, where West Tawakoni is located, Barack Obama received less than 30 percent of the vote in the 2008 general election, about the same percentage that John Kerry received in the 2004 general election, and a little less than the 32 percent of the vote which Al Gore received in the 2000 election.

Any termination of the police officers because of involvement in the Tea Party would not only violate the constitutional rights of the officers to associate with any legal organization they wished, but would also seem profoundly out of synch with the will of the citizens of West Tawakoni. The Texas Tea Party confirms the report of TexasFred and also notes that Chief Schultz had not only been on this small police force for 20 years, but that he also served as a volunteer fireman in the county. This story, if true, is evidence of an animus against the Tea Party which violates the rights of those officers.

Pin the story to a wall to see what happens.

Previously:

Police Officers Fired For Being TEA Party Members?