Concern Swirls Over Newly Formed WilCo Sheriff's Association

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — A recently formed sheriff's association has raised eyebrows among some in the law enforcement community who wonder if the entity will be used for political endorsement purposes or to create confusion with another more well-established deputies group.

Dubbed the Williamson County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association, Inc., the entity was filed with the Office of the Texas Secretary of State in May. Listed as the group's directors are three law enforcement officials currently employed by the Williamson County sheriff's office: Mark Luera, James J. Johnson and Jeremy R. Casey.

It's unclear what the purpose of the incorporation might be. The sheriff's office did not respond to an email from Patch seeking clarification. Luera arguably has the highest profile among the new association's directors given his starring role in the now-canceled reality show "Live PD" in which the Williamson County Sheriff's Office participated.

Some fear the entity could be used ahead of the November election to represent an endorsement for Sheriff Robert Chody, who has failed to garner any endorsements from law enforcement agencies following a series of controversies emanating from his office.

The filing caught the attention of Noel Johnson after a sheriff's office watchdog who goes by the moniker "Buddy Falcon" called attention to it last week. "This is ridiculous," Noel Johnson, who served in the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA) for 17 years, wrote on Twitter. "In all my years of police labor, we always advised to not have association documents got to the agency where administration could control them. Something doesn't pass smell test here."

Concern is heightened given the directors' current employment at the sheriff's office, suggesting an in-house endorsement of an employer rather than an independent, objective party.

A copy of the Williamson County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association filing.

Officials at the established Williamson County Deputies Association, meanwhile, have expressed concern the new entity might be confused for theirs. Members of that dues-paying organization also connected to the sheriff's office have reported being pressured to join the fledgling sheriff's association, according to a statement from the deputies' association.

Also raising concerns is the address listed for the newly formed association at 8160 Chandler Rd., which is the address for the Deputy A.W. Grimes Training Center where cadets are trained. Opened in July 2018, the $9.9 million, 25,000-square-foot facility is named after a Williamson County sheriff's deputy killed in the line of duty more than a century ago.

Related stories:

• Culture Of Abuse At WilCo Police Academy Found In State Probe
• 2nd State Probe Centered On WilCo Police Training Site Launched
• WilCo Sheriff Chody Finds Himself Under Unwelcome Spotlight

Others believe the aim of the new association is more fundamental, used as a tool to settle old grievances.

In response to questions from Patch, Jeremy Jones and Jason Waldon — chairman and campaign treasurer, respectively, of the Williamson County Deputies Association PAC — issued a statement outlining concerns over the emergence of the sheriff's association. Both men perceive the incorporation as further machinations by Chody to influence law enforcement affairs in the county, according to their statement. Many key Williamson County Deputies Association players include former sheriff's deputies who have been terminated by Chody since his mass termination of deputies and other personnel — some 200 to date — when he took office in 2017.

The Williamson County Deputies Association "...is a legitimately formed law enforcement association that was founded over 20 years ago by the members of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, and at present has over 300 members," Jones and Waldon wrote in their prepared statement. The organization was formed in part to support the rank and file of the sheriff's office with regard to labor issues and working conditions within the department, according to the statement.

Given Chody's past terminations — firings that impacted the Williamson County Deputies Association (WCDA) leadership — the group's PAC leaders have cast a wary eye on the motive behind forming the sheriff's association. The PAC leaders provided context to explain their skepticism, starting with reference to former WCDA President Brian Johns who accused Chody of using employees to make repairs on a vehicle personally owned by the sheriff at county expense before being fired. Johns has since filed a whistleblower lawsuit in an effort to regain his job.

"In July of 2019, WCDA President Brian Johns was fired by Robert Chody after reporting that Chody committed theft and abused the power granted him by virtue of his office. Jeremy Jones was previously vice president of the WCDA, and his position was still vacant following his resignation from the sheriff's office in April of 2019. The WCDA held elections for for president and vice president and Mike Klier was elected president. Klier was subsequently terminated by Robert Chody, and his termination, like the termination of Johns, has resulted in a whistle-blower complaint."

Chody fired Klier after the latter voiced concern over his counterparts' state of mental health upon being placed on administrative leave — a common practice at the Williamson County Sheriff's Office. Klier first voiced his concerns to the Williamson County Commissioners Court in February, followed up in March, and was fired by Chody some time later.

Mike Klier first addressed concerns for his counterparts' mental health in February.

Klier followed up in March, addressing commissioners on the sense of isolation and uncertainty among Williamson County Sheriff's Association employees placed on administrative leave.

In their statement, the PAC leaders described a past election that failed to yield high-ranking positions by candidates who had been endorsed by Chody — including one of the directors in the newly formed sheriff's association:

"Jarred Dalton was the candidate for WCDA president who ran against Klier, and JJ Johnson was the failed candidate for vice president," the statement reads. "It was clear throughout campaigning that Dalton and Johnson were the chosen candidates of the Chody administration. A board member at the time, Jeremy "Ross" Casey, reported that then Commander [Stephen] Deaton sent him a message verifying that Dalton was on the ballot for president. Casey stated he had numerous meetings with Chody, and Dalton and Johnson approached him regarding running for office positions. Dalton was also promoted by [Williamson County] Judge Bill Gravell on a social media post during the campaign period. Our PAC campaign treasurer (and a former vice president), Jason Waldon, explored a run for a board position, and Chody stated to another board member that he would not work with the organization if Waldon was the president. Unsurprisingly, Waldon was also later terminated by Chody on manufactured allegations."

PAC officials said members of the Williamson County Deputies Association resisted efforts to manipulate the group's leadership: "The membership of the WCDA refused to be steered by this obvious attempt to control the Association, and the Chody administration's supported candidates were soundly defeated."

Williamson County Deputies Association PAC t-shirt. Courtesy image.

Such past machinations are at the root of the newly formed Williamson County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association, Inc., the PAC leaders asserted: "The WCDA PAC board therefore finds it predictable, after the failed attempt by Chody to influence the outcome of the WCDA elections, that a group of Chody sycophants would simply create their own organization, with no ties to the legitimate WCDA nor the PAC. The WCDA PAC board believes that this organization was created with the sole goal of providing a political endorsement for Chody, without the substantial hurdle of a vote of the majority of employees. It is telling that the directors for this new organization — Mark Luera, JJ Johnson and Ross Casey — are individuals who have benefited greatly from Chody, are open supporters of him, and have a vested interest in keeping him in office. Luera and Casey are lieutenants, and under the legitimate Association, would not be eligible to hold office."

Arguably most disturbing, Jones and Waldon of the PAC concluded, are reports that some still employed by the sheriff are being forced to join the new group bearing the sheriff's office imprimatur.

"Disturbingly, the WCDA PAC board has received reports that employees are being subjected to to pressure and many feel they are being intimated into joining this new organization," Jones and Waldon wrote. "This fiasco has become a vehicle by which Robert Chody can force employees to declare whether they are with or against him, providing more targets for unjustifiable discipline and terminations. The WCDA PAC board condemns this unethical and injurious behavior, but unfortunately not surprised by it."

Patch will update this story to provide a response from Chody should he return an email seeking comment. Patch has also reached out to the sheriff's office for comment regarding the allegations made by the PAC leaders.