Wednesday, January 05, 2000
Firefighter kicked out of training program
7 others put on probation
BY JANICE MORSE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FAIRFIELD — One city firefighter/paramedic is being kicked out of a training program, while seven others who were also accused of “breaching tests and examinations” may continue in the course under certain conditions, a Butler County school official has concluded.
In a letter issued Tuesday, Joseph L. Lupo, superintendent of the Butler County Joint Vocational School District, said all eight paramedic students “failed to recognize and exercise a responsibility to maintain an ethical standard,” in violation of student conduct rules at the D. Russel Lee Career Technology Center.
An attorney who represents most of the involved students, Robert Welch, couldn't be reached Tuesday.
City officials on Tuesday were still planning to conduct pre-disciplinary hearings Thursday for six of the firefighters, said City Manager Arthur E. Pizzano. Hearings hadn't been scheduled for the remaining two. Their names were omitted from initial city documents about the situation.
Mr. Lupo, in his letter, said the students possessed copies of the previous year's test materials before a quiz Nov. 30.
“While there is no clear documentation of cheating, the unauthorized possession of test materials prior to this quiz does taint the results, regardless of whether the unauthorized materials were used or not used in preparation for the quiz,” Mr. Lupo said.
He acknowledged that school personnel contributed to the breach of security by discarding student tests in classroom waste containers — the apparent source of at least some of the materials. Mr. Lupo's letter indicates that firefighter/paramedic Thomas Hibbard distributed the documents to Richard Hall, James Howell, Ronald Lang, Randall McCreadie, Jamison Ruhl, Christopher Theders and Thomas M. Wagner.
Mr. Hibbard's alleged distribution of the materials “does constitute grounds for termination (from the training program),” Mr. Lupo said.
Documents indicate the other seven students would be readmitted to the program if they take retests on certain components of the course, take an ethics course and remain on academic probation.
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