Jerome Township trustees convened a disciplinary hearing Tuesday morning at township hall — their second attempt to remove Fire Chief Doug Stewart, who has been on paid administrative leave since May 2.
The 8 a.m. hearing at 9777 Industrial Parkway in Plain City opened the township’s new case against Stewart. Trustees read an updated statement of charges into the record at their Sept. 15 meeting, accusing the chief of improper participation in partisan political campaign activity, unprofessional conduct and insubordination. A second session is scheduled for Friday afternoon if the hearing continues past today.
The new charges were prepared by attorney Christina Corl of the law firm Plunket Cooney, the independent investigator the township hired after its first case collapsed. In July, trustees voted to dismiss their original charges without prejudice when Stewart’s counsel argued the township had violated Ohio law by appointing Township Administrator Brandon Standley — rather than a fire chief or a private citizen, as required by Ohio Revised Code section 505.38 — to conduct the first investigation.
The original charges also included an unauthorized letter Stewart sent to Amazon Web Services in 2025 outlining safety issues at the company’s data centers, and alleged political activity tied to the Union County Republican Party. The township has spent more than $100,000 on the investigation to date, a figure that includes Stewart’s salary while he remains sidelined but compensated.
Under Ohio law, the township’s board of trustees can remove Stewart with a two-thirds majority vote following the hearing. Stewart could appeal a removal to Union County Common Pleas Court. Battalion Chief Justin French has been serving as acting fire chief since Stewart’s leave began. Stewart declined to comment on the proceedings.