The Iowa State Patrol announced Tuesday it’s fired a state trooper who was accused of sending an inappropriate e-mail with his state-issued laptop computer.
Sergeant Rodney Hickok is appealing the dismissal with the Iowa State Employment Appeal Board. He’s a longtime patrol trooper, based out of the Fort Dodge State Patrol office.
Iowa Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Courtney Greene says Hickok is on paid administrative leave until the appeal is resolved.
Last January, Hickok was disciplined for circulating an e-mail sent to people inside and outside his department showing mug shots of people wearing Barack Obama t-shirts. Hickok later apologized following the incident.
On April 30th, Hickok was suspended again for unknown reasons. Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Eugene Meyer will only confirm that on May 20, 2009, the Department of Public Safety initiated dismissal procedures against Hickok.
Following an investigation by the agency’s Professional Standards Bureau, there was a 30-day suspension for Hickok last January although he did not actually serve it because of the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.