Racially-Charged Comment Costs Fire Chief His Job

Pleasant Township trustees have dismissed Fire Chief Jeff Mathias for allegedly assaulting a firefighter during a fight in December and making a racially-charged comment in May. Three firefighters say during a discussion about an African American firefighter, Mathias said  "I don't have a problem with black people. I think everyone should own one."  Mathias says that was not his exact comment and it was taken out of context. Mathias is appealing.