Published: February 19, 2007 11:12 pm         

Enid rookie firefighter loses job following public hearing

Enid Fire Civil Service Commission voted 4-1 Monday to uphold the termination of rookie firefighter Ashlei Wilson.

The five-member board reached its decision following more than an hour in executive session and after hearing a day’s worth of testimony from Enid Fire Department leaders, firefighters and Wilson. Monday’s meeting, which Wilson requested be public, was the second day in which testimony was heard.

Details of a strip tease performed by Wilson in an Enid bar Nov. 29, Wilson’s sex life and her performance as a first-year firefighter during a yearlong probation were discussed for nearly eight hours Monday.

Wilson’s termination was based upon her actions while off duty, in violation of the EFD’s Code of Ethics, questions of her strength and stamina, and level of maturity.

“Obviously, she’s on probation for the first year and that’s when you’re supposed to do your best,” EFD Chief Phil Clover said in an interview after the meeting.

Wilson has the option of appealing the commission’s ruling in Garfield County District Court or seeking arbitration in the matter.

During testimony, City Attor-ney Carol Lahman questioned two of Wilson’s supervisors, Capts. Leonard Harvey and Mark Meir, about their concerns over Wilson’s performance and abilities.

Asked if he would have her back on his shift, Harvey said, “Yep.”

“I don’t have any problem with having her back,” he said.

Meir said Wilson’s performance could benefit from more maturity on the 22-year-old’s behalf.

“Firefighter Wilson has done a pretty good job so far but would benefit from a little more maturity,” he said.

During her testimony, Wil-son said she had been told Clover did not want a second woman working at his department and had harassed her and singled her out for discipline based upon double standards.

She said the situation at the bar Nov. 29 was a result of her drinking, aggravated by a brain injury and medication she takes.

“I have quit drinking since,” she told the board. “I went to a doctor, then went to Alcoholics Anonymous and saw a counselor.”

Wilson also had been reprimanded for inappropriate discussions with other firefighters and for cursing, crying and pouting while on duty.

Wilson said she was discriminated against by other firefighters, and a decision to switch her from A-shift to B-shift was because Clover wanted her fired and the A-shift captains would not write her up.

Wilson also said Clover had a problem with her father, and Clover’s niece, whom she went to high school with, also had a problem with her.

Former Assistant Fire Chief Darrell Bundy testified that prior to Wilson’s hiring, Clover had expressed concern about her past and its possible affect on the fire department.

“Basically, he really didn’t want to hire her because of her reputation,” Bundy told the commission.

Bundy said he’d seen others cry or become upset while on duty, including Clover.

“If you don’t show emotion,” he said, “you’re pretty callous.”

Steven Ruther, who was Wilson’s union steward, said he was present when Wilson was given a letter suspending her for 30 days with pay pending a criminal investigation into the incidents of Nov. 29. No charges were filed related to the incident, and Ruther said Clover began searching for other reasons to fire Wilson.

He said some of the reprimands Wilson received are not given to her male counterparts for the same offenses.

During closing arguments, Lahman said Wilson’s actions were inappropriate and were enough to warrant her termination.

“Stripping and lap dances are inappropriate,” she said. “The misconduct is enough to terminate someone who is on probation.

Lahman said Wil-son’s problems with keeping her adult lifestyle private, her issues with strength and stamina and immaturity were reasons for her to be terminated.

“I’m sorry this occurred in public session because it is embarrassing to the department,” she said.

Attorney David Henneke, representing Wilson, said she has been treated differently from other firefighters and the other rookies. He said Clover launched his own investigation into the Nov. 29 incidents after the Enid Police Department’s investigation did not lead to criminal charges.

“He launches his own investigation. He gets the Enid Police Department to start a criminal investigation,” Hen-neke said. “There were four off-duty Enid police officers who watched this whole thing and didn’t do anything. But he’s sure she’s committed a crime.”

Henneke said Clover should have relied upon the captains’ initial reviews of Wilson’s performance, noting he had not spent time with Wilson but had say over her evaluation.

“It shouldn’t be that way,” Henneke said.

He said other firefighters who had committed crimes in which charges were filed had not been terminated or treated like Wilson was.

“There is no uniformity in the discipline in this department,” he said. “It’s a double standard.”

Clover said Henneke could have no way to know about other discipline issues within the department.

“There’s no way he can know the uniformity in discipline because personnel issues are private,” he said.

Commission member and retired Enid firefighter Larry Schafnitt was the dissenting vote.