Saying they could not determine “one way or another” as to whether a terminated fireman received permission to be late for work due to a family emergency, the Houma Municipal Police and Fire Civil Service Board voted 4-1 on May 26, to reinstate the city employee and to pay him 10 months worth of back-pay.
The board voted to re-hire 48 year old Fire Equipment Officer Michael Jones, a 27 year veteran employee, after former Parish President Don Schwab fired him last summer, for habitual tardiness, failure to appear at a reprimand hearing, and for not receiving proper permission to be late for work on June 30, 2007, due to a family emergency. The termination was at the recommendation of Fire Chief Daniel Scott and others, including District Fire Chief Jerry LaBouve.
However, four members of the civil service board couldn’t see “proof that they did or not give Jones the proper permission, so they voted on May 27 during a hearing on the matter, to give him his job back, with back-pay. Those members voting in favor were: Calvin Jones, Houma Fire Department Capt Heyward Simms, Houma Police Lt. John Chapman, and member Doug Levron.
Voting against the idea was retired policeman and Board Member Clay Naquin, who thought the city had proved its argument against Jones.
Board Member Calvin Jones, reviewing fire department paper work on the issue said, “…there is no indication of a no or a yes as to whether or not Michael Jones got permission from his supervisor for the emergency leave.”
Board Member Doug Levron, again reviewing fire department inter-office memorandums, said “No one documented anywhere that Mr. Jones was out of line.”
Fire Department Capt Heyward Simms said, ‘By reviewing these documents, I can’t tell whether permission was given or not given.”
Houma Fire Chief Daniel Scott was disgruntled after the meeting.
“This is very inappropriate. They ignored our ability to disciple. They ignored our decision to discipline,” Scott said, adding that the board placed themselves “in our shoes” in making their decision about Jones.
Board Member Clay Naquin said he believed that Michael Jones recalling of what happened the morning of June 30 was not true. “I do not believe it all took place like that,” Naquin said.
Michael Jones made only one statement after the hearing, “I’m glad this is over.’
Jones had not worked as a fireman since last summer. He is a fire-department truck driver.
“On the morning of June 30, I received a call from daughter at about 6:10 in the morning saying she was in a very intense situation and I needed to get to her…it involved the police and a couple of other things…she called me and said her car keys were missing and someone was threatening to kill her,” Jones said during the hearing.
“When you get a call like that, and you’ve got children, the first thing is to react because you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do…I was talking to her on one phone, and calling District Fire Chief Jerry LaBouve on the other,” he said.
“In short, he told me, okay Mike, you go do what you have to do,” he said.
“I told him I will be back at work as soon as this is over…and that was before 1:30 or so,” Jones said.
“Had he told me know, I would not have gone,” Jones said.
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