Jerome Township Trustees Unanimously Fire Fire Chief Doug Stewart
Trustees cited partisan political activity and insubordination following a two-day hearing, while Stewart raised selective enforcement and hostile workplace claims.
The Jerome Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, to terminate Fire Chief Doug Stewart following a two-day public disciplinary hearing in Union County.
Trustees Barry Adler, Joe Craft, and Andrea Watson voted to dismiss Stewart after concluding he violated township policy by participating in partisan political activity and engaged in insubordination and unprofessional conduct. Stewart had been on paid administrative leave since May 2, 2026, pending an outside investigation.
Campaign Materials and Insubordination Allegations
The formal charges centered on Stewart’s appearance in uniform in campaign photos and videos posted by former Ohio House candidate Wezlynn Davis, running afoul of township policies prohibiting employees from using uniforms or local resources for political activity. Township officials also cited an insubordination meeting in June where Stewart used profanities while discussing the investigation with Township Administrator Brandon Standley.
Township legal counsel Christina Corl argued during the hearing that Stewart failed to object to Davis's campaign materials. Corl stated that Stewart had multiple opportunities to disassociate himself, including asking Davis to take down the photos or untagging himself, and that failing to take action conflicted with his assertion that the publication was unauthorized.
Trustees echoed those findings in their final vote. Craft stated that Stewart's decision to use his position for partisan political purposes was sufficient on its own to warrant dismissal, while Adler emphasized that the fire chief was obligated to uphold the regulations he violated.
Defense Cites Inconsistent Enforcement
Stewart and his attorney, Barbara Letcher, strongly disputed the grounds for termination during hours of testimony. Stewart testified that Davis did not request permission to publish the photos in partisan advertisements.
Stewart also pointed to unequal enforcement, testifying that he had previously appeared in uniform in a campaign mailer for Craft during a past election cycle after being “told”, not asked, to appear in that photograph, without facing disciplinary scrutiny. Letcher argued that the township's partisan activity rules are not consistently enforced and emphasized that trustees never gave Stewart notice that he had breached policy before placing him on leave in May.
Letcher further argued that the accusations do not constitute “dischargeable offenses” under Ohio law, noting that Corl had conceded during proceedings that a policy infraction does not automatically warrant termination.
Addressing workplace friction, Stewart testified that he had warned trustees and Standley about a hostile work environment and retaliation, saying trustees had told him Standley wanted to “get rid of me”. Stewart testified he felt intimidated when Standley gave him two days in June to sign a $7,000 separation agreement, despite contract terms permitting more review time.
Taxpayer Costs and Department Leadership
Records show the township’s outside investigation cost $25,000, drawing criticism from some local residents over public expenditures.
Emergency operations will continue under Battalion Chief Justin French, who has served as interim chief throughout the administrative leave and will remain in that role.
Stewart maintains the statutory right to file an appeal challenging his firing in the Union County Court of Common Pleas.
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The Jerome Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, to terminate Fire Chief Doug Stewart following a two-day public disciplinary hearing in Union County.
Trustees Barry Adler, Joe Craft, and Andrea Watson voted to dismiss Stewart after concluding he violated township policy by participating in partisan political activity and engaged in insubordination and unprofessional conduct. Stewart had been on paid administrative leave since May 2, 2026, pending an outside investigation.
Campaign Materials and Insubordination Allegations
The formal charges centered on Stewart’s appearance in uniform in campaign photos and videos posted by former Ohio House candidate Wezlynn Davis, running afoul of township policies prohibiting employees from using uniforms or local resources for political activity. Township officials also cited an insubordination meeting in June where Stewart used profanities while discussing the investigation with Township Administrator Brandon Standley.
Township legal counsel Christina Corl argued during the hearing that Stewart failed to object to Davis's campaign materials. Corl stated that Stewart had multiple opportunities to disassociate himself, including asking Davis to take down the photos or untagging himself, and that failing to take action conflicted with his assertion that the publication was unauthorized.
Trustees echoed those findings in their final vote. Craft stated that Stewart's decision to use his position for partisan political purposes was sufficient on its own to warrant dismissal, while Adler emphasized that the fire chief was obligated to uphold the regulations he violated.
Defense Cites Inconsistent Enforcement
Stewart and his attorney, Barbara Letcher, strongly disputed the grounds for termination during hours of testimony. Stewart testified that Davis did not request permission to publish the photos in partisan advertisements.
Stewart also pointed to unequal enforcement, testifying that he had previously appeared in uniform in a campaign mailer for Craft during a past election cycle after being “told”, not asked, to appear in that photograph, without facing disciplinary scrutiny. Letcher argued that the township's partisan activity rules are not consistently enforced and emphasized that trustees never gave Stewart notice that he had breached policy before placing him on leave in May.
Letcher further argued that the accusations do not constitute “dischargeable offenses” under Ohio law, noting that Corl had conceded during proceedings that a policy infraction does not automatically warrant termination.
Addressing workplace friction, Stewart testified that he had warned trustees and Standley about a hostile work environment and retaliation, saying trustees had told him Standley wanted to “get rid of me”. Stewart testified he felt intimidated when Standley gave him two days in June to sign a $7,000 separation agreement, despite contract terms permitting more review time.
Taxpayer Costs and Department Leadership
Records show the township’s outside investigation cost $25,000, drawing criticism from some local residents over public expenditures.
Emergency operations will continue under Battalion Chief Justin French, who has served as interim chief throughout the administrative leave and will remain in that role.
Stewart maintains the statutory right to file an appeal challenging his firing in the Union County Court of Common Pleas.
How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
https://marysvillematters.substack.com/p/no-surprise-jerome-trustees-oust
Supporting evidence (8)
Trustees Barry Adler, Joe Craft, and Andrea Watson voted to dismiss Stewart after concluding he violated township policy by participating in partisan political activity and engaged in insubordination and unprofessional conduct.
Read supporting passage
After a multi-hour, two-day hearing, the Jerome Township Trustees voted to terminate Fire Chief Doug Stewart’s employment on Wednesday.
Craft stated that Stewart's decision to use his position for partisan political purposes was sufficient on its own to warrant dismissal, while Adler emphasized that the fire chief was obligated to uphold the regulations he violated.
Read supporting passage
“His decision to use his position for partisan political purposes is by itself sufficient to warrant termination of employment,” Craft said.
Stewart also pointed to unequal enforcement, testifying that he had previously appeared in uniform in a campaign mailer for Craft during a past election cycle after being “told”, not asked, to appear in that photograph, without facing disciplinary scrutiny.
Read supporting passage
Chief Stewart said he was “told”, not asked, to appear in that photograph for Mr. Craft.
Letcher argued that the township's partisan activity rules are not consistently enforced and emphasized that trustees never gave Stewart notice that he had breached policy before placing him on leave in May.
Read supporting passage
Stewart’s attorney, Barbara Letcher, argued that the township policy on partisan activity isn’t consistently enforced.
Letcher further argued that the accusations do not constitute “dischargeable offenses” under Ohio law, noting that Corl had conceded during proceedings that a policy infraction does not automatically warrant termination.
Read supporting passage
She also noted that the allegations against Stewart are not “dischargeable offenses” under Ohio law, saying the Township’s own investigator, Christina Corl, did not reach that conclusion.
Addressing workplace friction, Stewart testified that he had warned trustees and Standley about a hostile work environment and retaliation, saying trustees had told him Standley wanted to “get rid of me”.
Read supporting passage
Stewart testified that he told all three trustees.All three told him that Mr. Standley wanted to “get rid of me.”
Stewart maintains the statutory right to file an appeal challenging his firing in the Union County Court of Common Pleas.
Read supporting passage
Stewart can file an appeal in Union County Common Pleas Court.
Retained video evidence
Supporting evidence (4)
Stewart had been on paid administrative leave since May 2, 2026, pending an outside investigation.
Read supporting passage
He had been on paid administrative leave since May 2.
Records show the township’s outside investigation cost $25,000, drawing criticism from some local residents over public expenditures.
Read supporting passage
Records obtained by ABC6 show the investigation has already cost $25,000, a bill some residents say taxpayers should not have to pay.
Emergency operations will continue under Battalion Chief Justin French, who has served as interim chief throughout the administrative leave and will remain in that role.
Read supporting passage
Battalion Chief Justin French, who has been serving as the interim fire chief, will remain in that role.
Retained video evidence
Supporting evidence (5)
The formal charges centered on Stewart’s appearance in uniform in campaign photos and videos posted by former Ohio House candidate Wezlynn Davis, running afoul of township policies prohibiting employees from using uniforms or local resources for political activity.
Read supporting passage
Stewart appeared in photos with the political candidate in his fire chief uniform, which Township policy prohibits employees from using their uniforms or township resources for political activity.
Township officials also cited an insubordination meeting in June where Stewart used profanities while discussing the investigation with Township Administrator Brandon Standley.
Read supporting passage
He was put on leave from the department in May and during an insubordination meeting in June, Stewart used profanities when discussing the investigation and further raised tensions with the township administrator Brandon Standley.
Corl stated that Stewart had multiple opportunities to disassociate himself, including asking Davis to take down the photos or untagging himself, and that failing to take action conflicted with his assertion that the publication was unauthorized.
Read supporting passage
“Mr. Stewart had multiple opportunities to disassociate himself from materials, including untagging himself from the photos, requesting Miss Davis remove the photos, or otherwise communicate his objection. His failure to take any action is inconsistent with his present assertion that the publication was unauthorized,” stated during the allegations presented by trustee attorney Christina Corl.
Stewart testified that Davis did not request permission to publish the photos in partisan advertisements.
Read supporting passage
According to the October 7 meeting, Stewart claimed Davis did not request permission to publish the photos in the partisan ads.
Retained video evidence