Firefighter fired for marrying fellow firefighter’s niece – really!
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Jonathan Goodman can date her and even live with her, but once Goodman married Herbert Tedford’s niece he could no longer be a firefighter in Columbus, Mississippi. Tedford is also a firefighter in Columbus. And yes, I said firefighter. He holds the same rank as Goodman and works at a different station. The Columbus City Council says Goodman can work as a police officer or another city department but he married himself out of being a firefighter.
Some very strange nepotism rules in Columbus, to say the least. Here’s the operative language from the city’s policy:
… nepotism occurs when any person employed by the City shall occupy a position in which he/she will be directly working for or supervising a relative or person with whom he/she is in a dating relationship.In cases where a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest arises because of the relationship between employees, even if there is no authority or line of reporting involved, the employees may be separated by reassignment or terminated from employment to avoid personal conflicts to be carried over in the day-to-day working relationships and to avoid the appearance of impropriety, favoritism or a negative effect on morale.
Sarah Fowler, The Commercial Dispatch:
Goodman told The Dispatch that after he and his now-wife, Nicole, got engaged, he approached (Columbus Fire & Rescue Chief Martin) Andrews about the situation. Andrews, Goodman said, told him that if the couple married, he would be fired.
Goodman subsequently filed a grievance with the city. He then met with Mayor Robert Smith and Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong.
“I was told I could date her, I could live with her, but I couldn’t marry her,” Goodman said.
The matter went before the city council Tuesday night in executive session. During the two-hour meeting, councilmen told Goodman he could either transfer to the city police department or be terminated. Goodman declined to change departments.
Councilmen voted unanimously to fire him.
