After only a few months on the job, the Marked Tree fire chief terminated

Marked Tree, Arkansas – The Marked Tree fire chief announced his intention to sue the city after the city council permanently removed him from his duties after only a few months on the job.

Allen Hicks was let go on November 14 for breaking “Facebook policy.”

Hicks claimed that the mayor “did not want to give me a reason” and that a city councilor informed him of the rationale behind his dismissal.

Hicks claimed that the infraction of the policy was a private message exchange between him and another individual that “got a little ugly.” According to Hicks, the other party shared the chat on Facebook.

Hicks, who had worked for the city since March, was let go during the regularly scheduled city council meeting, but he claimed it came as a “complete shock.” Hicks claimed that after discussing the event with the mayor on November 10, the mayor “reprimanded” him but assured him that he would not be dismissed.

Hicks claimed that despite being fired by the city a few years prior for a different event, he had never previously been “written up.”

Hicks claimed that the city had not offered him a severance payout.

Calls made to the mayor of the city and a number of council members remained unanswered.