When Matthew Cooper moved to Rock Hill from Ohio two years ago, he didn't plan to fall in love.
But Cooper, 25, met a woman at a picnic and did just that. Now he and his fiancee, Brooke Lowery, 21, are about to marry - and the June 18 wedding could cost him his job as a firefighter for the city of Rock Hill.
His future father-in-law, Herbie Lowery, also is a Rock Hill firefighter, and city policy says relatives can't work together in the same city department.
Under the policy, Cooper will be terminated 30 days after he marries. He and his supporters are urging the city of 56,000 to change its policy.
"I'll say 'I do' but I won't say 'I quit,'" he told about 60 people, some of them firefighters, at a Rock Hill union hall Wednesday. "They can fire me, but I'm not going to voluntarily quit."
City officials say the policy is designed to keep conflicts of interest out of city departments and that Cooper agreed to the policy when he was hired.
"He was told of the potential conflict as soon as his relationship with Lowery became known and was reminded that he signed this policy," said Linda Alleva, Rock Hill public affairs director.
Cooper's supporters say the policy belittles the institution of marriage.
"They're saying Matt will lose his job not because of a poor work record but because of commitment to love in a Christian marriage," said the Rev. Joseph James, pastor of the couple's church, India Hook United Methodist.
The city's policy, which was last amended in July 2003, prohibits immediate family members from working in the same department. "Immediate family" includes spouses, parents, siblings, children, in-laws, stepchildren, stepparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles and aunts.
Alleva said Cooper was offered the opportunity to transfer to another city department, such as the police department, but turned it down.
She said city Fire Chief Mike Blackmon offered to help him find a job with a fire department nearby, but he declined.
Cooper said he has received no formal job offers and his only desire is to continue working with his "family" of firefighters.
Nepotism policies similar to Rock Hill's are "pretty common" in South Carolina's larger cities, according to Howard Duvall Jr., executive director of the S.C. Municipal Association.
"In your larger cities ... where the departments have human resources divisions, you're going to have policies like this, just like you see in many South Carolina businesses," Duvall said. "Many smaller jurisdictions don't have these policies, and you get into some difficult situations with relatives working together."
Cooper's father, Robin Cooper, 48, was in Rock Hill on Wednesday to support his son. He said he has been a firefighter for 24 years in Findlay, Ohio, a city of about 39,000 near Toledo, and that his Fire Department has staffers who are related and work together without problems.
"It's a common thing for firefighters to be brought into the job by other family members," Robin Cooper said.
Matt Cooper also is getting support from the S.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association and the International Association of Fire Fighters AFL-CIO.
His co-workers have been told not to speak to the media.
Brooke Lowery said the wedding arrangements are finished but she's "dealing with a lot of stress."
"I'm behind Matt 100 percent," she said. "I want Matt to be able to keep his job."
Cooper hopes the city will change its mind.
"When I moved here I didn't have a family - I had my stuff in a van," he said. "Now these people are like brothers and sisters to me. One-third of my life is spent with these people. I'm asking the city to allow me to marry the woman I love - and keep the job I love."
Distributed by the Associated Press
