PAPILLION, Neb. --
Papillion officials have named two firefighters who they said provided recruits with test questions and answers, a move that caused the department to invalidate the tests and start over from scratch.
Jeffrey Strawn, a deputy chief, and Matthew Sullivan, a captain, were both demoted to the rank of firefighter 1, said city administrator Dan Hoins in a statement released Monday.
Firefighter candidates who used the test questions and answers have been prohibited from applying for city jobs in the future.
City officials got suspicious last month when some applicants scored unusually high on a written portion of the test. Two current firefighters were accused in the cheating and an investigation was begun.
Hoins called the punishment "severe." Firefighter 1 means the two will return to entry-level positions. He said he handed down the punishment after consulting with investigators and the fire chief.
The setback put
about three months behind in its hiring process. It also cost the city tens of thousands of dollars and inconvenienced 166 applicants.
Deputy Fire Chief Demoted In Cheating ScandalCopyright 2009 by KETV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
