West Dundee fires firefighter accused of beating up woman
West Dundee officials have fired a part-time firefighter accused of beating up a woman at a Christmas party, Village Manager Joseph Cavallaro confirmed Thursday.
The village fired Jason Elders, 39, Wednesday afternoon.
His alleged behavior at the party, held just outside St. Charles, is both “unbecoming of someone in protective services” and also reflects negatively on the village's other firefighters, Cavallaro said.
“The conduct was not what we expect of our employees, especially within public safety,” he said.
Elders worked in West Dundee for three years and made $13.26 an hour there.
He also is a part-time firefighter in Carpentersville and remains on unpaid administrative leave there while the village runs its own internal investigation, Public Safety Director Al Popp said Thursday.
The village continues to watch Elders' court activity, and Popp said he plans to interview the parties involved. Elders has spent five years in Carpentersville and was paid $15.81 an hour before he was placed on leave Dec. 26. Elders also served as vice president of the union that represents the village's part-time firefighters.
Elders, of St. Charles, was charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from the Dec. 22 altercation at a party on Townhall Road in unincorporated Kane County.
Witnesses told police that Elders hit a 37-year-old woman repeatedly, according to the Kane County Sheriff's Department. She was treated for nonlife-threatening injuries at an area hospital.
West Dundee placed Elders on unpaid administrative leave Christmas Eve, pending the outcome of his court case.
But in the end, officials decided to take action before Elders had his day in court.
“The court case has been continued twice now, there wasn't movement,” Cavallaro said.
Elders' next court date is Feb. 13.