Texas Chief and Assistant Chief Charged in Hazing Sex Assault: Shades of Shreveport

Posted by: Curt Varone April 9, 2015 0

The scope of the Ellis County Emergency Services District 6 sexual assault hazing incident just widened with word that the fire chief and assistant fire chief were arrested today and charged with witness tampering.

Fire Chief Gavin Satterfield, 31, and Assistant Chief Billy Getzendaner, 34, were arrested this afternoon because they reportedly instructed the victim and involved members not to discuss the incident with authorities. Six others were charged on Monday with forcibly sexually assaulting a new member with a sausage last January.

Chief Satterfield and Chief Getzendaner were not involved in the sexual assault but failed to report it to authorities when they learned about it, and advised personnel including the victim not to report it. The case is eerily similar to the case in Shreveport, Louisiana in 2013 where five firefighters were charged with abusing two mentally challenged men, and the fire chief and assistant chief were subsequently charged with malfeasance in office for trying to keep the matter in house.

Here is more on the Shreveport five… and the indictment of the fire chief.

Here is more on the Ellis County ESD6 case.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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