WilCo Citizens Not Letting Up To Demand Deaton Ouster

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Residents descended on the historic courthouse in Georgetown on Tuesday to register their disbelief over a police commander's workplace complaint — a filing made after his own offensive social media posts sparked outrage.

Williamson County Sheriff's Office Commander Stephen "Steve" Deaton created a furor after a Facebook page he created that depicted acts of violence against black NFL players protesting police brutality and made light of sexual assault victims.

Since the Southern Poverty Law Center first exposed the now-deleted page, there have been growing calls for Deaton to be fired. WilCo Sheriff Robert Chody — who recruited Deaton from the Austin Police Department where they both once worked — has declined to discipline his charge, despite growing calls for him to do so. Chody has predicated his stance on Constitutional grounds, saying that any form of discipline would run afoul of Deaton's right to free expression as enshrined in the First Amendment.

Patch on Aug. 24 was first to report that Deaton has responded to the backlash by filing an EEOC complaint. The item was posted for executive session discussion on Tuesday's meeting of the Williamson County Commissioner's Court over the weekend in adherence to a state law requiring public meeting agendas be posted at least 72 hours in advance. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a federal agency that administers and enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination.

Those lining up to air concerns during the "citizens to be heard" portion of Tuesday morning's commissioners court meeting disagreed. While people have a right to free expression, some argued, there are often repercussions to what is said. Residents condemning Deaton's social media activity increased calls for his firing.

Sources tell Patch that Deaton is increasingly isolated at work as colleagues distance themselves from him in the wake of outrage over his now-exposed posts. That sense of isolation and backlash is what prompted him to file an EEOC claim of being in a hostile work environment.

"Has the world turned on its axis the other way?" an emotional Anndora Garner of Georgetown said in addressing commissioners. "So now the county is faced with the ridiculous situation of the man responsible for these wicked posts now claiming to be a victim of those who have truly been victimized by the hostile environment he created. Geez Louise! I don't understand that! We haven't taken appropriate action and now he's moving on and pretending to be a victim? This is absurd! Like my grandmother said: 'Do the right thing. You know what it is.'"

Referencing the executive session agenda item on the EEOC complaint prior to his comments, retired Georgetown attorney Michael S. Truesdale zeroed in on a Deaton post making light of the disappearance of student Natalie Holloway in Aruba before being declared legally dead in 2012.

"Item 60 and 64 on your agenda," Truesdale began. "Here in Williamson County, in our own sheriff's department, a very sick and twisted mind named Steve Deaton took the time and effort to create a perverted miniature elf tableau that mocks the disappearance and murder of Natalie Holloway. He specifically names her in this post. The caption is: 'On his latest trip back to his vacation home in Aruba, our elf notices that Natalie's mental health is now deteriorating quickly. he must admit though that Holloway lasted longer than some of his previous, quote, guests.' "

Holloway was an 18-year-old Alabama woman who vanished on May 30, 2005, during a high school graduation trip to the Caribbean. Her disappearance became international news, and the case remains unsolved.

"This makes a mockery of the abduction of a beautiful, innocent, young woman and serial murder. Pass a resolution demanding Deaton's firing!" Truesdale concluded as the timer limiting citizens' comments expired.

From Commander Stephen Deaton's now-deleted Facebook page.

Residents continued to urge for Deaton's ouster. "I'm just here to ask you guys once again to do what you can to remove Deaton," Nita Ingrid of Cedar Park told commissioners. "I believe there's things you can do. You can financially make changes that force Chody to do it. He's not going to do it. He's already been given a chance."

The resident vowed she and other Deaton detractors will continue to beat the drum in calling for the commander's firing to prod commissioners into taking action. While the Williamson County Commissioners Court has no power to dictate personnel matters in the office of the duly elected sheriff, its members control county purse strings and could limit Chody's budget toward forcing an elimination of the commander's job, she intimated.

"We're a laughingstock," she said. "The news is here again today. I spoke to them last week, I'll speak to them today. I'll keep speaking; we're going to keep being on the news. Do we need to go national? Do we need to go on the national news to make Williamson County laughed at?"

This is a developing story. Patch will update with more information.

Previous coverage:

Beleaguered WilCo Commander Files Workplace Complaint

WilCo Sheriff Chody Finds Himself Under Unwelcome Spotlight

WilCo Sheriff Addresses Furor Over Subordinate's Facebook Page

WilCo Commissioners End 'Live PD' Contract

Round Rock Rape Victim Re-Traumatized By Cop's Social Media Page

WilCo Sheriff Disavows Commander's Controversial Facebook Page

Calls For WilCo Sheriff Commander's Removal Intensify

Final 'Live PD' Show Featuring WilCo Cops Airs Aug. 24