By Cathy Logg
Herald Writer
The Washington State Patrol’s Lieutenants Association filed a grievance against the agency over its handling of a disciplinary action involving now-retired Lt. Walt Fisch.
The association has accused the patrol of not abiding by its own regulations.
Fisch, 59, retired Jan. 19 after more than 34 years with the patrol. Until last year, his record was unblemished.
Administrators placed him on paid leave in September after Trooper Kristen Marxer, 33, accused him of filing a false report against her. After an internal investigation, a captain found Fisch guilty of unbecoming conduct and violating rules of conduct and ordered him suspended for 10 days.
Fisch appealed and asked for a trial board. His retirement occurred before the trial board took place. Under agency rules, he said, the allegations against him should have remained unresolved and not go on his record.
The patrol considers the matter closed and added the sanctions to his record.
The union, which includes lieutenants and captains, filed a group grievance on behalf of all of its members because the issue could affect everyone, union attorney Leann Paluck said Friday.
They’re in the process of selecting arbitrators now, she said.
"We haven’t even talked about scheduling a hearing yet," she said.
Fisch and other troopers say this is yet another instance in which former patrol chief Annette Sandberg’s administration has failed to abide by union contracts, and another instance of discipline being imposed unevenly.
After Fisch was charged in the administrative investigation, his supervisor, Capt. Helmut Steele, 46, was removed from the district and assigned to Olympia while the patrol conducted an internal investigation on Steele’s conduct.
Assistant chief Robert Lopez demoted Steele to lieutenant, imposed 30 days suspension and reassigned him to Bremerton after finding he had violated four agency rules by mismanaging the District 7 headquarters in Marysville and harassing and discriminating against Marxer. The mismanagement had to do with Steele’s supervision of Fisch and his efforts to discipline Marxer.
Supporters in and outside the patrol have complained about the agency’s handling of both cases and asked Gov. Gary Locke to intervene or allow an independent review.
When Sandberg was appointed chief six years ago by former Gov. Mike Lowry, she vowed to rid the patrol of some of its senior leadership, and she did. Some resigned or retired, and others were demoted or reassigned.
Fisch says he became one of her targets.
"We’ve been putting up with the vindictiveness against employees and people who were running the organization prior to her coming in," he said. "She started her vendetta the day she took over against what she termed ‘the (former Chief George) Tellevik good old boys,’ and she’s been going after everyone she can. It took her a while to get to me."
Sandberg denied the allegations.
You can call Herald Writer Cathy Logg at 425-339-3437
or send e-mail to logg@heraldnet.com.
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