Sexual remarks listed in Galion Police Chief Mark Rodriguez's firing
Marc Rodriguez has been fired as the Galion police chief.
He signed the city's order of removal Dec. 16. The termination went into effect Monday.
The document was provided to the Mansfield News Journal Wednesday by Matt Echelberry, the city's communications director, after a public records request.
Rodriguez had been on paid leave since the middle of August.
"Pre-disciplinary conferences were held on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, and Friday, Dec. 9, 2022," the order reads. "Police Chief Marc Rodriguez was found, by a preponderance of evidence, guilty of the following charges of misconduct."
The removal order listed seven counts of "failure of good behavior" against Rodriguez.
The earliest allegation referenced came in March of 2021, before Rodriguez had been named the city's police chief. The removal order states that Rodriguez was seen "inappropriately touching" a woman whose name was redacted "as she was shifting her body away from you."
Two more allegations reported in May 2021
Two more allegations were made shortly after Rodriguez was sworn in as police chief on May 7, 2021.
In both of those instances, the order claims, Rodriguez had called upon the help of a woman, whose name was redacted from the removal order, for help "learning a software program."
During the first visit, Rodriguez was accused of making "an inappropriate remark of a sexual nature and innuendo, stating 'while you are down there…'."
In the second visit, the still-new chief allegedly "made an inappropriate remark of a sexual nature including words to the effect that you keep air conditioning on in your office because it makes women's nipples hard."
After both cases, the order claims, Rodriguez had been asked about his behavior and had "failed to answer, unequivocally, 'No,'" that the statements had not been made.
Allegations continue out of office and into personal life
The order of removal then claims that in either June or July of 2021, Rodriguez "followed Ms. (name redacted) to her residence." It went on to read: "During your investigatory interview, you indicated that you encountered Ms. (name redacted) in traffic and followed her vehicle to her new residence."
Another instance, sometime in the autumn of 2021, Rodriguez "requested that Ms. (name redacted) show you personal photos of herself." The letter continues: "You responded in your investigatory interview that you did not know the photos of Ms. (name redacted) were personal/revealing photos when you requested them. According to a witness, (name redacted), upon your statement to Ms. (name redacted) that you hadn't seen her pictures yet, Ms. (name redacted) explained that the photos were not for work, and you indicated that you still needed to see the photos."
Then, "in January of 2022, you sent an inappropriate text message to a subordinate employee, (name redacted)."
The final allegation, which was not dated, claims that a woman whose name had been redacted was leaving an Elk's Lodge, and that she "got on her motorcycle to leave and you pulled up next to her, while in uniform and in your work vehicle… rolled down your window and indicated to Ms. (name redacted) that you were waiting for her." The order claims that she "proceeded to leave, and you followed her in your work vehicle and subsequently called her and sent her a text message, asking her whereabouts for an upcoming committee meeting."
Rodriguez became a Galion patrol officer in 2000, then was promoted to lieutenant in 2010. Before being named chief of the 16-officer department he was a detective lieutenant, supervising the special investigations unit and serving in the regional METRICH Drug Task Force.
Marc Rodriguez did not respond Wednesday afternoon to a request for comment.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Sexual remarks listed in Galion Police Chief Mark Rodriguez's firing
