IN Capt. Accused in Cheating Scandal Says He's Innocent, Files Appeal

Sept. 8, 2023
Suspended Muncie Capt. Troy Dulaney is appealing the permanent revocation of his fire certifications.

The veteran Muncie captain stripped of his fire credentials following a widespread cheating scandal is appealing the decision.

Capt. Troy Dulaney said he did not help recruits cheat on their certification exams, WTHR reported. 

In addition to revocation of all his firefighting credentials, his EMT license has been suspended for seven years. Dulaney believes it's not fair and he's appealing. 

Following an investigation and interviewing at least 30 people, officials with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security wrote:

“Dulaney used his position as Captain at the Muncie Fire Department to repeatedly initiate / facilitate cheating on EMT / Fire course examinations from 2018 to 2023. Interviews with past students and colleagues reveal that students felt pressured to engage in this quid-pro-quo exchange of test questions because Dulaney was in a position of authority at Muncie Fire Department, and they feared repercussions if they did not give Dulaney what he wanted … Dulaney’s pattern of misconduct threatens the integrity of the firefighting and EMT professions because it raises concerns about the competency of Dulaney’s past students who now serve in public safety roles.”

The board also placed eight Muncie EMTs on two years of probation and voided the results of the national EMT exam they passed last winter. 

Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones told a reporter: “We had never had a case that saw such blatant disregard for giving test answers out for students to cheat. This was pretty big and broad in scope, way beyond what we’ve seen in the past.”

Following Jones' investigation, the Indiana Board of Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education voted to permanently revoke all of Dulaney's fire certifications.

The captain said he was targeted by others who were jealous of his standing in department.

“My desired outcome would be to be afforded an opportunity to fully know and be apprised of the accusations and supported ‘evidence’ against me, and to know those persons whom I am being accused by so that I am able to adequately defend myself. Once provided a proper opportunity to defend myself, should a neutral trier of fact determine my conduct unbecoming, I would like for the punishment to fit the crime,” Dulaney wrote.

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