Clay County Fire battalion chief fired after shirtless text

A Clay County Fire battalion chief who sent a shirtless photo to a female subordinate has now been fired.

Earlier this month, Action News Jax reported that man was one of four Clay County Fire Department employees under investigation for separate issues.

In text messages released to Action News Jax by Clay County Human Resources, now-former Battalion Chief Raleigh Zike asked a female subordinate to hang out at his Vilano Beach hotel for the weekend.

Zike, who is married, then told the female employee, "Don't get me in trouble."
The woman texted him back, "Yeah no that's not cool."

"I'm such a idiot when i been drinking... F*** my position," texted Zike, apologizing repeatedly.
The internal investigator said Zike also made "sexual comments about one or more female employees while on duty."

Action News Jax called and emailed Zike’s attorney Kyle Tate to get Zike’s side of the story, but we have not heard back.

County Manager Stephanie Kopelousos wrote a four-page letter explaining her decision to fire Zike, saying his actions indicate “poor decision-making as a person in a leadership role.”

“Anything less than termination would signal a degree of tolerance on the part of the county regarding such offenses that would be entirely inappropriate, insupportable and inconsistent with the mission of the Department and the County,” said Kopelousos in the letter.

Kopelousos’ letter is dated four days after Action News Jax started asking questions about what was taking so long.

Zike had been sitting at home on the taxpayers' dime for two months before Kopelousos fired him.
On Sept. 10, Kopelousos told Action News Jax her decision was taking that long because new information came up during a recent meeting.

Kopelousos appeared to address that in her termination letter to Zike, saying, “At the hearing, your counsel attempted to make statements and introduce testimony that would cast doubt on the character of the complainant.... Neither you nor your representatives nor the subsequent meetings I had at your request presented any information or documentation that would influence a different path of corrective action.”

Zike was also investigated in 2015 for using his lights and sirens to stop a school bus and accuse a student of flashing his wife.

Zike was not formally disciplined for the school bus incident, but has been counseled several times for unprofessional behavior, according to the internal investigator.

Zike is not the first Clay County firefighter in hot water.

In 2016, Lt. Anthony Myrick resigned after the Fire Department began investigating a nude selfie taken in a fire station bathroom.

Earlier that year, firefighter James Padgett resigned after he was charged with selling heroin.
In 2015, firefighters Joseph Lancaster and Aubrey Raisor resigned after reportedly having sex in a firehouse while on duty.

Cox Media Group