What would you do if you were a selectman in Oak Bluffs about the local fire department and its leadership?

Here is run down of some of the infractions that have occurred:

• Sexual harassment by the chief costing the town $97,500 paid by the town’s insurance which will probably raise the premium causing our taxes to increase.

• The supervisor having a relationship with a subordinate. Didn’t we have a president who got into trouble for this?

• FBI inquiry into the over billing of Medicare/Medicaid by the EMT department supervised by the fire chief.

• The fire chief places his locker in the female locker room. Are you kidding me.

• When first questioned the chief lied to the selectmen.

• The above infractions are surely enough to remove the chief but that has not happened. Why did the selectmen give him their support after all of these infractions?

• The present selectmen still stand by him, if you can believe it. They state that there was no wrongdoing by the town or the chief in dealing with the administrator. Then why pay the former administrator the $ 97,500 if there was no wrongdoing?

• Two selectmen came to the defense of the chief saying that what he did was not that serious. What do they consider serious?

• Let me give you a hypothetical situation.

• If a school principal had a relationship with a teacher and continued harassing the teacher and the principal also mishandled student activity funds what would you say?

• Would you defend him and let him continue in his position? I am sure you would not.

• As residents of Oak Bluffs we need to give this situation some very serious thought and not allow it to continue.

Eric Hohenthal

Oak Bluffs