ST. LUCIE COUNTY — After 74% of participating fire union members voted against his leadership in a vote of no confidence, Chief Jeff Lee was fired Wednesday by the St. Lucie County Fire District Board.
Board member Travis Leonard made the motion to terminate Lee's contract, arguing that the chief's leadership had reached a point where a change was necessary.
"Coming from the private sector after owning a business for the last 17 years, whenever an employee goes ahead and gives a notice, as far as I'm concerned, they've already checked out. I am ready to terminate his contract as of today," Leonard said.
Lee has been at the center of a controversy surrounding the termination of three firefighters following an investigation into videos showing recruits being shocked with a modified bug zapper.
The firefighters' union has maintained that the incidents constituted consensual horseplay, while third-party investigators concluded the conduct amounted to hazing.
The controversy also prompted scrutiny of the fire district's policies, particularly its procedures for handling complaints and disciplinary matters.
Board member Jamie Fowler said the district needs to address broader organizational problems as it moves forward.
"We need to get our act together all the way across the board," Fowler said.
Fowler also supported a leadership change, citing the strain the controversy has placed on the organization.
"We have reached a point where confidence has been impacted, relationships have been strained, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary for the organization to move forward," she said.
Not all board members agreed that removing Lee was the right course of action. Board member Stephanie Morgan argued that the decision should be part of a broader effort to address the district's underlying problems.
"I will not support removing Chief Lee simply to satisfy a vote of no confidence," Morgan said. "I will support a fair process, transparent governance, and substantive policy changes that address the underlying problems."
Board member Linda Hudson also questioned the potential consequences of the decision, expressing concern that the circumstances surrounding Lee's termination could affect future chiefs.
"We've got so much animosity built up and so many accusations, so much out there, and nobody's under oath. I don't know that if we terminate Chief Lee, that if any other chief picked from this group is going to be safe from being a target if they don't do exactly what is wanted," Hudson said.
Despite those concerns, the board voted 4-3 to terminate Lee without cause.
Board member James Clasby advocated for terminating Lee with cause, but Leonard said he did not want to pursue that route because of the potential for additional legal proceedings.
"I'm not going to sit here and open up another investigation, another law firm, another lawsuit, another legality," Leonard said. "I voted no to extend his contract seven months ago."
Deputy Chief Paul Langel will serve as interim chief while the district considers a permanent replacement.
Clasby is already looking at potential changes to the next chief's contract, including provisions that would give the board greater flexibility in evaluating the chief's performance and ending the employment relationship.
"Including considering to keep the employee as an at-will employee with no severance. It creates a different dynamic when the employee of the board knows that there's a high bar that has to be met to remove them, they're more likely to not be responsive to the will of the board," Clasby said.
Lee's departure follows another recent leadership development at the district. District Attorney Kim Sabol submitted her 90-day notice on Sept. 30.
Lee has served the fire district and the county for nearly 30 years. He was not present at the Oct. 21 board meeting when members voted to terminate his contract.