Termination letter for career firefighter is signed by 13 of his colleagues.

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This is a bit of an unusual story from Liberty Township, Ohio in Trumbull County (not to be confused with the 24 other Liberty Townships in Ohio). A veteran career firefighter let go by township officials found out it wasn't just the bosses who didn't want him at the firehouse any longer. The feelings of his co-workers were almost unanimous and they let him know it.

Township officials says that Firefighter James Thompson, who had been on the department for 14-years, is guilty of “malfeasance and misconduct in office.” According to Robert Guttersohn at Vindy.com, on December 8 Thompson signed a last-chance agreement and returned to work after four months on paid leave. Only four days later, Liberty Township again put Thompson on paid leave.

Guttersohn reports, after Thompson's return, firefighters wrote a memo to township officials fearing a physical confrontation and indicated one firefighter requested a leave of absence because "the danger of attending work".

Liberty Township then sent James Thompson a termination letter that was endorsed by 12 of the town's full-time career firefighters and one part timer.

Here's more from the Vindy.com article:

The termination letter cites Thompson’s tardiness and that he “intentionally and continually created and fostered a hostile and contemptuous work environment and working relationship” with fellow firefighters.

It was the third try by the township to terminate Thompson since he joined the department in 1997.

The first was in 2004 and the second in 2007. Both times his termination went to arbitration and was negotiated to a lesser punishment.

Throughout his career, he picked up criminal convictions. According to Mahoning County court records, Thompson has criminal convictions, including charges of operating a vehicle while impaired and one misdemeanor concealed-weapon charge in 2003, which eventually landed him on unpaid leave for 90 days, according to his personnel file.

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