Chattanooga Fire Marshal David Brooks was reassigned as a captain Thursday after an internal affairs investigation revealed his four-month affair with the wife of former Fire Marshal Craig Haney, including at least one on-duty encounter, the investigation report states.
PDF: Investigation report PDF: Internal Affairs recommendation PDF: Ron Littlefield statement PDF: Final disposition
Fire Chief Randy Parker said Deputy Chief Lamar Flint will serve as interim fire marshal until a permanent replacement is chosen, according to Bruce Garner, spokesman for the Chattanooga Fire Department.
Chief Parker requested the investigation, performed by the Chattanooga Police Department, on Jan. 28 after Capt. Haney brought forth a complaint about the affair, the investigation report states. The investigation was to determine if Marshal Brooks acted in a manner unbecoming of a public employee.
“Craig Haney brought the complaint because he believes that his career could be adversely affected as a direct result of this affair,” the report states. “This would be possible if David Brooks was allowed to make decisions regarding his promotions or his possible disciplinary actions.”
Internal Affairs Investigator Sarah Moody interviewed Capt. Haney, Marshal Brooks and Capt. Haney’s wife, Kelli Haney, during the investigation, and reviewed Marshal Brooks’ city e-mail account. The investigation found no direct evidence of misuse of the city e-mail account or abuse of office on Marshal Brooks’ part, according to the commander’s recommendation report.
Marshal Brooks and Mrs. Haney confirmed there was an affair, which began in September 2009 – about two months before Capt. Haney was removed as fire marshal and a month before Mr. Brooks took over the position. The pair told the investigator of several sexual encounters that occurred in vehicles, hotels, properties owned by Marshal Brooks and one firefighter’s home, but both said just one occurred while Marshal Brooks was on duty in November, during his lunch break.
The affair ended in December, the report states, and the two have not had contact since the beginning of January.
Chief of Police Freeman Cooper signed off on the final disposition, which stated a finding of “sustained” regarding “conduct unbecoming a public employee.”
WHAT’S NEXTDeputy Fire Chief Lamar Flint will serve as the interim fire marshal until a permanent replacement is chosen.Source: Chattanooga Fire Department.
In a letter from Mayor Ron Littlefield to Marshal Brooks, Mr. Littlefield wrote that he was “deeply disappointed that your behavior has seriously jeopardized the public standing and reputation of the office of fire marshal.”
“You were wise to confine most of the sexually-charged digital traffic to your own phones and computers, but the time involved with such activities and the admitted meeting carried out while on duty are sufficient cause for corrective action,” Mr. Littlefield wrote in the letter.
Richard Beeland, the mayor’s spokesman, on Thursday called the incident a “personnel matter” and declined to comment further.