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EAST MOUNTAIN 性视界传媒� East Mountain City Council members voted Monday to reprimand the city性视界传媒檚 police chief for making a Facebook post that council members said was political in nature.

Mayor Mark Covington and four fellow council members concurred that Police Chief Stephen Rathbun性视界传媒檚 April 7 post on the East Mountain Police Department性视界传媒檚 Facebook page was improper, though attorneys for the city said the post was legal. Councilman Eugene Brown voted against the reprimand.

Rathbun posted that 性视界传媒渟everal concerned citizens性视界传媒� had told him that a council member and candidates vying for seats on the council were 性视界传媒渁ctively working towards defunding your police department,性视界传媒� though he did not name anyone. He said he made the post 性视界传媒渋n the best interest of transparency.性视界传媒�

Rathbun made the post about one month before the May 3 election, when East Mountain voters will elect three people to the council. Most of the candidates were at Monday性视界传媒檚 meeting and joined a number of East Mountain residents in voicing their support or criticism of Rathbun.

Candidates性视界传媒� views of the police chief 性视界传媒� who has been commended and criticized during council meetings in the past year 性视界传媒� could be an issue voters consider at the ballot box. Some residents wore buttons saying 性视界传媒淚 Support the Chief性视界传媒� during Monday性视界传媒檚 meeting.

Rathbun said he does not regret his April 7 Facebook post because multiple people had asked him about the rumor that a council member and candidates were seeking to 性视界传媒渄efund the police.性视界传媒� Rathbun said residents have the right to know if council members or candidates are seeking to do so and that his post did not violate the city性视界传媒檚 social media policy.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 not against the law,性视界传媒� Rathbun said. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 informing the citizens.性视界传媒�

Covington, who has supported Rathbun and his work as chief, said Rathbun used 性视界传媒渂ad judgment性视界传媒� when making the post. However, based on advice from two attorneys for the city, the post didn性视界传媒檛 give the council grounds to terminate him, the mayor said.

性视界传媒淚 feel that it should have been done a lot better, or a lot different, or Stephen should not have posted that post,性视界传媒� Covington said. 性视界传媒淚 know he felt he was doing the right thing, but I think as a chief of police 性视界传媒� also mayor and council members 性视界传媒� we性视界传媒檙e all held at a little bit higher standard than all the other citizens out here.性视界传媒�

After Rathbun made the post, Councilman Paul Barber texted Covington that he believed the post was 性视界传媒済rounds for termination now!性视界传媒� The News-Journal obtained text messages between Barber and Covington through an open records request filed Monday.

Some residents and Councilwoman Stormie Combs asked Rathbun to name the residents who raised concerns about the rumor, but Rathbun would not, saying some of them feared retaliation for speaking up. Combs said Rathbun made a 性视界传媒減olitical statement,性视界传媒� which Rathbun denied.

Councilman Danny Medlin said Rathbun性视界传媒檚 post was 性视界传媒渙n the line性视界传媒� of violating the city性视界传媒檚 social media policy and that the matter was personal.

Tammy Stuckey, a candidate for a council seat, said she believes Rathbun didn性视界传媒檛 have the right to make the post because the election is drawing near. She also questioned whether Rathbun is patrolling East Mountain, saying she has never seen him near her house and that he only patrols near 性视界传媒渢hose who will keep him in office.性视界传媒�

Several community members voiced support for the chief. Jo Popma defended his post, saying some people 性视界传媒渟pew hate and don性视界传媒檛 like him.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒淲hen he has that many people calling him, worried and complaining, and there性视界传媒檚 a few that are constantly nitpicking at everything, what does he do?性视界传媒� she asked.

Rathbun, the town性视界传媒檚 only police officer, faced criticism in 2024 from some residents who raised concerns that he was performing police work outside the city性视界传媒檚 jurisdiction. Also last year, council members voted to implement a city social media policy after Rathbun posted a video to TikTok that included a rap song with the n-word. Rathbun apologized to the community and said the video wasn性视界传媒檛 meant to offend anyone.

During Monday性视界传媒檚 meeting, the majority of residents who spoke said Rathbun does his best to keep residents safe and plays a key role in bringing the community together through various events, such as this past weekend性视界传媒檚 Easter egg hunt and block party.{span class=性视界传媒漰rint_trim性视界传媒潁

Rick Goodson said he supports the chief and that Rathbun has been involved in the community.

性视界传媒淚t sounds to me like there性视界传媒檚 a bunch of infighting that just needs to get fixed,性视界传媒� Goodson said.

Terry Johnson, a candidate for a council seat, said Rathbun is doing a 性视界传媒済reat job性视界传媒� and asked people in the crowd to raise their hands if they support the chief. Most of the people in the audience did so.

Covington said that, moving forward, Rathbun will have to seek approval from city officials before making social media posts that could be construed as political.

Councilman Richard Lattier said Rathbun is a good man and has the overwhelming support of the community, but he used bad judgment when making the post.

性视界传媒淚 didn性视界传媒檛 enjoy voting to censure or to reprimand you. I don性视界传媒檛 think anybody here enjoyed it,性视界传媒� Lattier told Rathbun. 性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檓 here to support you, and I see you growing and learning, and we性视界传媒檇 all be better off if you didn性视界传媒檛 engage in politics on the internet.性视界传媒�

Three council seats will be on the ballot May 3. Council members Brown and Medlin are running for reelection, but Lattier is not. Stuckey and her husband, Billy, are both running for seats on the council, and so are Johnson, Mathew 性视界传媒淐lay性视界传媒� Voyles (husband of Combs) and Terry Carter.

Election Day voting is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 3.

Early voting will take place at city hall, 103 Municipal Drive. Days and times are April 22-24 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; April 25 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; and April 28-29 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.