Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, August 11, 1994 Page: 1 of 8
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Thursday, August 11,1994 _Burleson, Texas • For The Good Life Single Copy 500
Chief saxs there is 'preponderance of evidence'
Five months into probation,
police officer is terminated
TRAIN COLLIDED WITH CAR ABANDONED ON TRACKS: The driver of a red Ford Mustang convertible
apparently abandoned her vehicle on the Union Pacific railroad tracks just north of the 400 block of N. W. Burleson
Blvd. The train conductor didn't see the car, which had no lights on, until it was too late to stop and collided with it
(above) caving in the driver's side of the vehicle (below). According to Officer John Schumacher, Lorie Proctor
Hussong, 33, hit die embankment in the curve in the 400 block and apparently skidded at least 74 feet on both asphalt
and dirt before coming toa stop on the railroad tracks. Firefighters searching for a victim found her near a ditch where
she had apparently walked at N.W. Hillery and Hwy. 174. She was taken to the hospital where she was treated and
with driving while intoxicated..The accident was reported at 11:48 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5. The railroad crossing at
Renfro was closed for at least two hours until the vehicle could be taken from the scene and the accident investigation
could he mmnleteri
The reasons range from
infringing on rights of
fellow employees to
providing minor alcohol
By SALLY ELLERT^ON
Burleson Star Managing Editor
Less than seven months after he
was demoted from sergeant to patrol
officer, Burleson Police Union Local
#79 President Ray Matrix was fired
by Burleson Police Chief Harvey
Hightower Aug. 8.
Matrix is appealing that termi-
nation via the city's new grievance
procedure. His attorney, Jim Lane,
said they would request for an open
hearing soeveryone can hear the facts
for themselves. That appeal will go
to Burleson City Manager Kay God-
bey. Lane said if they don't have a
final decision in 31 days, the "lawsuit
will be amended to add three to four
additional causes."
Matrix filed a lawsuit April 7
against the city, Hightower individu-
ally and as chief, and Godbey, also
individually and as city manager.
'■John MacLean (former district judge
for the249th District Court in Johnson
County) has joined forces with Lane
and his brother Bill Lane to represent
Matrix.
The lawsuit wasfiledafterBurle-
son City Manager Kay Godbey up-
heldHightower’sJan. 14 demotion of
Matrix. At that lime Godbey gave
Hightower the authority to initiate an
investigation into allegations "rang-
ing from ticket writing to employee
retaliation and harassment" and to
"determine and lake whatever ac-
tions are necesary to resolve these
issues."
According to Hightower, when
Matrix filed the lawsuit against the
city April 7 of this year, that opened
the door for an inquiry into Matrix'
prior conduct. Hightower said the
basis for all but one of the rcasonsfor
potential termination occurred before
Matrix was demoted and subsequently
put on a one year probation effective
March 9 of this year.
The reasons given for terminat-
ing an almost 9-year veteran include
intimidation and infringement of the
constitutional rights of five police
department employees via letters in
their police department boxes verify-
ing their resignations from the union;
unauthorized use of a city vehicle for
delivering smoked turkeys to indi-
viduals and businesses while on duty
(this charge was ultimately dropped);
insubordination for alleged state-
ments made to one of the co-acting
police chiefs, another made about
one of the co-acting city managers,
and an alleged threat to a subordinate
officer; and allegedly providing liq-
uor to an underage police dispatcher
at parries or union functions.
"On this particular issue I felt
termination was the decision that
needed to be made," Hightower said.
"We feel we have a preponderance of
the evidence to prove every charge of
the termination."
All seven Burleson City Council
members declined lo comment on
Hightower's decision to terminate
Matrix.
The chief would not confirm
whether each officer or police em-
ployee named as complainants in the
termination would verify the con-
tents of the charge.
”1 think it's an interesting obser-
vation that five of the six incidents
are against his fellow police offi-
cers," Godbey said of the reasons for
Matrix' dismissal.
Hightower, who has been chief
of police for less than nine months,
put Matrix on administrative leave
(with pay) the morning of Thursday,
Aug. 4. Following a pre-determina-
tion hearing at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug.
8, Hightower terminated Matrix dur-
ing a 1 p.m. meeting later that day.
THREE DAYS before Matrix
was put on administrative leave, he
gave an oral deposition to city attor-
neys reportedly in reference to the
lawsuit he filed to get his sergeant's
stripes back. According to court rec-
ords, Matrix was asked to supply city
attorneys with six different docu-
ments:
—Original petition and request
for an injunction that was part of the
Please see CITY, Page 8B
City loses a decorated
officer in termination
By SALLY ELLERTSON
Burleson Star Managing Editor
The termination of Ray Matrix
as police officer for the city of Bur-
leson (see accompanying story) re-
sulted in the loss of an almost nine
year veteran who was both highly
decorated and, until the last eight
months, entrusted with numerous
responsibilities as sergeant with the
Burleson Police Department.
Matrix started his law enforce-
ment career in August 1984 as a
deputy constable for Hunt County.
He got his feet wet there for nine
months before switching to the West
Tawakoni Police Department where
he was a patrol officer for four months
from May 1985-September 1985.
Mauix was hired by farmer Burleson
Police Chief Keith Rippy in Septem-
ber 1985 when he was just 19 years
old and had 13 months of law en-
forcement experience. The young
officer was hired before the state
Right is right
and wrong is
wrong. We
will win out
because we
are right.
RAY MATTIX
Ex-BPD Officer
Fire sub-station, police expansion on list
"Bids" fill tonight's city
council agenda but, unlike
an auction, it's the lowest
bidder who walks away
with the prize in this case
So many bids are on the agenda
that someone who casually tralked
into city hall tonight might think for
a moment he had chanced upon the
chamber of commerce auction in-
stead of a Burleson City Council
meeting.
But, have no fear council-meet-
ing lovers, it is indeed a city council
meeting scheduled for 7:00 this
evening (Thursday).
Council members will be asked
to authorize bids on a pair of items
that most folks wouldn't hid on at an
auction and will be awarding bids on
seven other items that few of us could
afford even if we had tome need or
desire for things like water meters or,
perhaps, our own fire station.
The two top items on which the
council will award bids tonight are
holdovers from the previous meeting,
but that's not the main thing they have
in common.
They are also both projects stem-
ming from the May 1, 1993, city
bond/sales tax election.
Architects had not fully re-
viewed the bids at that last meeting,
but are expected to be ready to make
recommendations tonight for letting
The contracts on the construction of a
fire sub-station on the east side of I-
35 and for the expansion of the po-
lice department.
Other bids expected to be
awarded at tonight's meeting include
the micro-surfacing for street repairs,
a 30-cubic foot roll-off container,
water meters, waterpipe and appur-
tenances, and protective clothing for
the fire department.
Being the low bidder won't
likely be enough to receive some of
those contracts. Several of them, in-
cluding the low bid for the protec-
tive fire gear, do not meet specifica-
tions.
The council is also expected to
authorize a call for bids on street
materials and for uniforms for field
pcfsotmel. It will also consider au-
thorizing the sale of surplus vehicles
at auction.
Final reading on a noise ordi-
nance is also scheduled for tonight
Basically, feat ordinance would
define noises that are "unreasonably
loud, disturbing, and unnecessary"
and sets hours in which the noise
level should be further curtailed.
The ordinance speaks to con-
struction and industrial noises as well
as boom boxes at midnight and
lawnmowers at 6 a.m.
According to Police Chief
Harvey Hightower, the revised ordi-
nance will help give police the defi-
nitions needed to enforce noise vio-
lations.
No mention is made on the agen-
da for bringing back the smoking or-
dinance that was tabled at the last
meeting.
An ordinance that is on the agen-
da could save city residents a few
bucks on late water bills.
Currently, a water bill is due no
later than 10 days from the date the
bill is posted. A penally charge (10
percent) is added to bills paid after
that date.
The ordinance would double the
amount of time a water customer had
to pay the bill without being sub-
jected lo the penalty.
The staff feels the 20-day
timeframe is more comparable to the
terms provided by typical retail credi-
tors," said City Finance Director
Charles Harris.
Please see COUNCIL, Page 3A
School board meetings
remain twice a month
They could have tx-en. J
on a different date; ‘
could have been
them; but there arer
After considering a variety of
options, the Burleson ISD Board of
Trustees opted to leave things the
way they are as far as its meetings
are concerned.
Board members considered -—-
meeting on another day of the week other than the traditional Monday
sessions and also discussed dropping the second meeting of the month in
favor of a single meeting.
After all was said and done, however, the board will continue to meet
on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
Superintendent Fred Rauschubcr had suggested the possibility of
having only one regularly-scheduled meeting per month and calling an
additional meeting if necessary.
Trustees seemed to consider the proposal favorably at first, then de-
cided that the rime lag could be critical in some situations.
"I don’t have any problem with one monthly meeting; my only con-
cern is that some type of method be used so things don't get postponed.
By the rime an idea comes up; is scheduled as a discussion item; then
scheduled as an action item, it can take three months (with only oik meet-
ing per month) and there would go an entire summer," Board Member A1
Tiller noted.
He also said board members tended to stay more "on top of what's
going on" with twice-a-month sessions than when meetings are limited to
once a month.
Board members also expressed concern over not being able to get an
item added to the agenda for a month after they see the agenda for the
upcoming meeting.
IVpically, they get agendas on Friday—too late to meet the guide-
lines for posting should uiey want to add an item to it
Even though meetings will be left at two per month, Rauschuber said
a list of agenda items could be sent to board members earlier in the week.
raised the age requirement to be a
police officer to 21.
Matrix came to the city around
the same time that at least seven other
officers—Gary Fowler (now with
Mansfield), Cherie Robinson (rec-
ords manager), Jon Josephson, Randy
Hicks, Susan Rasco, Jack Golcman,
and Mark King were hired. He moved
up relatively quickly, spending 14
monthsasapatrol officer before being
promoted to a Patrol Officer II, one
step below a supervisory role; patrol
corporal in April 1987{ and earning
another stripe as patrol sergeant eight
months later in December 1987.
"I found Ray Mauix to be of the
highest integrity and an outstanding
police officer," former chief Keith
Rippy said. "He was promoted dur-
ing my tenure because he developed
See FLAMBOYANT, Page 7B
WEATHER
be 95 degrees af- ?
ter a low this J
morning in the
lower 70s. Winds
will be about 10 mph under sunn
to partly cloudy skies. So far th
month, only .05 inch of rain hi
been reported in Burleson, thi
was on Sunday, Aug. 7. The hig
for August to date is 97 degrees; tft
low has been 68.
° The forecast through Sunda
is continued warm with highs i
the upper 90s and lows in the low*
to mid 70s.
INDEX
CALENDAR.......Pg. 2. Sect. A
LIFESTYLES.......Pg. 5, Sect. A
RELIGION.........Pg. 6, Sect A
SPORTS............Pg. l.SectB
OBITUARIES......Pg. 2, Sect B
CLASSIFIEDS.... Pg). 4-7, Sect B
ENVIRONMENT
On Ozone Alert days, don't mow your
lawn; use gasloine-powered tools; or
make unneccessary morning trips.
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Ellertson, Sally. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, August 11, 1994, newspaper, August 11, 1994; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth762357/m1/1/: accessed June 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Burleson Public Library.