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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.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.