Wabash Township firefighter: 'In my mind, she’s just as guilty as before'

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Indiana Appeals Court ruling Thursday that overturned Wabash Township ex-Trustee Jennifer Teising's 21 convictions for theft left confusion among the many who bore Teising's lashes.

"I agree with the Court of Appeals that I have maintained my residence in Wabash Township," Teising said in a written statement published late Thursday. "I served the people of Wabash Township and continue to be disappointed that Pat Harrington wastes taxpayer dollars on this political prosecution.

"At this time, I am considering my next steps but for today, I am vindicated," Teising said.

Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Patrick Harrington indicated in a written statement Thursday afternoon that he plans to ask the Attorney General's office to press the Indiana Supreme Court for a review of the case.

Teising's attorney, Karen Celestino-Horseman, released a statement late Thursday.

"I do not believe this appellate decision, which held the evidence insufficient to support a conviction, falls within the principal considerations leading to a grant of transfer to the Indiana Supreme Court," Celestino-Horseman said. "Should a petition to transfer be filed, we will be prepared to deal with it."

Asked if Teising planned to sue for her back pay from 2022, Celestino-Horseman said, "Under the statute, she should have to sue for it. The statute says she gets it," Celestino-Horseman said.

More:Ex-Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising: 'I am vindicated'

More:Prosecutor asks Attorney General to send Teising's case to Supreme Court

The whistleblowers

The whistleblowers bore the brunt of Teising's decisions and shed light into the events inside Wabash Township. After Thursday's Appeals Court ruling, some of the whistleblowers shared some of their thoughts.

"While it’s incredibly unfortunate for the residents of Wabash Township who, for a moment, felt that there was a glimmer of hope in justice being done (albeit slowly), I understand that the appellate court had a job to do and a decision to render," said Ed Ward, the fire chief who was restored to office after Teising was forced to resign after her convictions.

Teising fired township Ward on Dec. 21, 2020, for insubordination, although she never articulated what Ward had done.

"Of course I’m frustrated and disheartened by that decision," Ward said Thursday, "but I’m not an attorney or a judge, I’m a firefighter. My opinion of how they rendered their decision is of little value.

"What is of value is that in spite of what attorneys and judges decide, I can assure you that the amazing men and women of the Wabash Township Fire Department, Wabash Township Trustee’s Office, and Wabash Township Advisory Board will continue to humbly serve those in our charge with integrity, pride, professionalism, and distinction and with a much, much larger support system in place today than ever."

In the summer of 2021, Teising threatened to fire the three remaining paid firefighters unless they and the volunteer firefighters helped her gather signatures to create a fire protection district so she could raise taxes and fund the fire department. Her signature campaign failed, so she fired the paid staff.

Angel Valentín was township board president during the tumultuous summer of 2021, and he succeeded Teising as trustee. While he wasn't one of the whistleblowers, Valentín was a constant advocate for the firefighters.

With the counsel of Tippecanoe Township Trustee Bill Jones, Valentín created a revenue stream to fund a full-time fire department within months of taking office. Valentín's creation of the revenue stream was one Teising rejected in the 2022 budget planning sessions as something that was impossible to do.

The Journal & Courier asked Valentín for his reaction to Thursday's overturning of Teising's convictions.

"We're just going through and reading (the decision)," Valentín said, "and making sure we're taking care of our staff. They were the ones impacted by this."

Teising fired township office manager Amie Mullikin in March 2020 after Mullikin caught COVID-19, but continued to work at Teising's direction. Mullikin complained about Teising failing to submit her hours for a paycheck while working alone in the office with COVID, and Teising fired her.

Mullikin became one of the whistleblowers who testified at Teising's trial.

"While this doesn’t feel like accountability or justice," Millikin said Thursday, "what is most important is that the truth won.

"All of us at Wabash Township have spent the last year repairing broken trust and relationships, and we have accomplished many great things," Millikin said.

"The court’s decision does not change any of that or derail our future plans," she said. "All of us in the trustee’s office and the fire department are maintaining our focus on doing the next right thing for the residents we serve."

Millikin once told the Journal & Courier that Teising's ambitions included becoming a U.S. senator. With her felony convictions overturned, Teising can now pursue elected office.

"One aspect that deeply concerns me is that this decision means Ms. Teising is now eligible to run for public office again," Millikin said.

"I certainly hope that this experience has caused voters to more carefully consider each of their candidates and not simply trust that voting for a specific party ensures quality leadership and representation," she said. "Looking into each individual matters — especially in local government."

The fire department and its paid and volunteer staff in particular was damaged in the summer of 2020 by Teising's decisions.

Volunteer Deputy Fire Chief Jim Lewis held the remnants of the fire department together in the wake of Teising firing the full-time firefighters at the end of June 2021, which prompted many of the volunteer firefighters to walk off the job.

“We’ve been sitting around talking,” Lewis said Thursday when reached by the J&C for comment.

“In my opinion, she got off on a technicality because they didn’t prove she intend to change her residency,” he said.

“In my mind, she’s just as guilty as before,” Lewis said offering his opinion. “What they ruled was the letter of the law, and apparently she didn’t violate the letter of the law.”

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Teising Whistleblower: 'In my mind, she’s just as guilty as before'