OK Fire Captain's Reprimand Letter Removed

Muskogee Civil Service Commissioners on Friday ordered a letter of reprimand removed from the file of Muskogee fire captain’s personnel file.

The 2-1 decision followed an all-day marathon of testimony about rumors and confusion about Capt. Bryan Fuller’s alleged harassment of Pvt. Aaron Hoffman. Witnesses included Hoffman, several other captains in the department, Assistant Chief Gordon Lee and Chief Mike O’Dell.

“It feels good that the letter’s gone, but it doesn’t feel good to have had to show this off today,” Fuller said after the hearing, referring to the apparent confusion among those in the department’s chain of command.

Fuller first received the letter of reprimand in December from O’Dell, who cited comments made by Hoffman in his complaint as grounds for the reprimand. The complaint, filed early November, identified Fuller as a person who allegedly made “comments about signing over Private Aaron Hoffman and getting his job due to him allegedly making an anonymous complaint about” Fuller.

O’Dell went on to state in his letter of reprimand that “Hoffman felt like he was subjected to a hostile work environment and being retaliated against for allegedly making the anonymous complaint.” A subsequent investigation conducted by Assistant City Attorney Rodney Brook — and the method of that investigation — became a sticking point during the Civil Service hearing.

Fuller’s lawyer, D.D. Hayes questioned whether it would be appropriate to use an unsworn and unsigned statement.

“I don’t think anybody was asked to sign an affidavit,” Hayes said during his opening statement. “If a person won’t swear to a statement and sign it, the city shouldn’t consider it.”

Equally central was a time when Hoffman was said to have difficulty finding his way to a fire on Jefferson Street while Fuller was helming the truck. Another event discussed was an incident during which Hoffman allegedly was unable to find the Gospel Rescue Mission while responding to a medical call.

Hoffman was alerted later by other firefighters — including Steven Stephens, Blake Weldon and Clay Waggle — that Fuller planned to “sign over him.”

“There were four to six firefighters that said he was going to sign over me and get my job,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said he feared Fuller was motivated by an unrelated incident that had occurred earlier. Fuller received a safety complaint against him for not wearing protective gear at the scene of a fire.

Weldon testified Friday that Fuller believed it was Hoffman who filed the complaint.

“I remember having cautioned Capt. Fuller that someone might construe those comments as being hostile,” Weldon said. “I did that as Brian Fuller’s friend.”

Fuller, however, said he never once threatened to try and have Hoffman fired. Assistant Chief Gary Walker said during his testimony that he understood Fuller had wanted to take command of Hoffman to help him better understand Muskogee’s geography.

“Fuller said he was going to sign over Hoffman because if nobody else would help the private, he would,” Walker said.

O’Dell shed additional light on subject. The chief said he initially requested monthly progress reports about Hoffman’s familiarity with Muskogee’s geography, but no followups occurred, he said. O’Dell also said he attempted to resolve the issue in-house, but Hoffman skipped that option and went straight to City Hall.

“When I met with Mr. Hoffman he told me he would meet with me and Mr. Fuller and we would talk this out,” O’Dell said. “I never had a chance to have that meeting.”

Hayes said that the case should not have gone to a hearing due to what it revealed about the concerned department.

“We have brought up some things today that aren’t good for the Muskogee Fire Department,” Hayes said.

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