By Paul A. Anthony
San Angelo Standard-Times (Texas)
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Attorneys continued their wrangling Tuesday in the arbitration hearing of a former San Angelo assistant fire chief accused of neglecting his duties last spring.
The hearing — resuming after more than six weeks — took a turn into the personal life of Lyle Daniel, who was suspended indefinitely in May after the city placed a tracking device on his vehicle and found hours of activity not related to his work.
Among the activities revealed Tuesday were a series of late-night visits to his then-girlfriend’s house, apparently without her knowledge, as well as meetings with her at nearby coffee shops after she got off work but while he was still on duty, according to testimony at the heating.
The former girlfriend, Marilyn Shields, said she was not aware of at least 10 recorded stops by Daniel’s city-owned vehicle at her home address.
Shields said she knew Daniel for eight years and had an “on-and-off” relationship with him during that time — breaking up for good in October.
Questioning of Shields and another Daniel girlfriend focused on his activities in March and April, when both women said he was in a relationship with them.
The questioning led to some tense moments, as a pair of uncomfortable witnesses thrust into the public light answered queries about their relationship with Daniel.
The city essentially fired Daniel, accusing him of doing personal business on the job, which paid him a salary of more than $73,000. Daniel appealed the suspension to arbitration despite agreeing to many of the city’s allegations.
The city alleges the GPS tracking showed 56 hours of non-work-related activities over a 22-workday period beginning in late March. Daniel and his attorney Craig Deats have argued that a demotion should have been sufficient, and that the former assistant chief is a victim of disparate treatment by the city.
The hearing continues today.
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