The Little Dixie Fire Protection District has denied the allegations of whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination of former Little Dixie Fire Chief Eric Hartman.

The lawsuit alleges two counts against Little Dixie — whistleblower retaliation and wrongful discharge in violation of public policy — claiming former Little Dixie Fire Chief Eric Hartman was fired because he was about to report suspected “prohibited activity.” The lawsuit was filed on April 15 by Donald Weaver of Weaver and Associates in Columbia.

The Little Dixie Fire Protection District denied all accusations in both counts of the petition stating that it was lawfully justified in firing Eric Hartman, and it was Hartman’s own improper actions and omissions that led to his termination, according to court documents. The response was filed by Margaret Fowler of HelperBroom LLC on June 24.

The agency is demanding a trial by jury and has also filed a motion for a change of venue.

Hartman’s petition requested $25,000 in damages on each count and the reinstatement of Hartman as Little Dixie fire chief, including compensation for lost wages and benefits that would have accrued since May 15. In Count 2 of the petition, Hartman also requested all attorney fees to be paid by Little Dixie Fire Protection District.

A motion filed on June 24 by Fowler claims Hartman’s request for attorney’s fees are impermissible under common law.

According to the lawsuit, on March 15, prior to his planned start date, Hartman staffed Little Dixie Fire Station 1 due to the funeral of Battalion Chief John Loveless. During that shift, Jay Schutte, chairman of the fire district’s board of directors, stopped by the office to speak with Hartman. Schutte then brought Hartman to a plot of land owned by Kenneth Hoover, board secretary-treasurer, who intended to sell the land to Little Dixie to use as the location of a new fire station. In response, Hartman said the plot was outside Little Dixie’s geographical boundaries and located in a floodplain, possibly making the station inaccessible for response during flash flooding and raising the foundation above the floodplain would add significant cost.

Fire district officials said it was true Hartman staffed Fire Station 1 that day and that Schutte did speak to him “at some point,” but said it has insufficient information to confirm the date, according to the response. The agency also admitted Schutte took Hartman for a “tour of the area in his car,” but denies Schutte ever represented that the Little Dixie Fire Protection District was engaged in purchasing the property and denies the discussion ever occurred.

The petition also claims that in April 2025, Bill Albus told Hartman there were properties within the fire district that “opt out” of paying fire district taxes and that Little Dixie bills the property owner if crews respond to the property. The fire district said it could not confirm it was Albus who informed Hartman, but admitted the rest of the statement is true.

Hartman stated in the petition that he expressed to Albus his belief that the practices were in violation of state law and was told by Albus not to spend time on the issue because it would “piss off a lot of people.”

The agency denies both allegations and denies that its opt-out provision is improper.