Well folks, grab your popcorn, warm up a courtroom bench, and prepare for a dramatic reading of… “How to Weaponize the Courtroom Because Someone on the Internet Was Mean to Me.” Yes, dear readers, Frisco Chronicles has officially been handed a starring role in the live-action community theater production of Petty Lawsuits & Public Spectacle.
I have been wanting to update you the whole time; however, our Attorney advised me not to make any public statements as it was an ongoing legal matter. Now that the deposition is complete, I sit here and wait to see if the Petitioner files a lawsuit against me. In the meantime, it is time to explain all the twists and turns of the last two months. I also want to address some accusations made in a recent post on FRWC.
Where do I begin? It appears that a local admin, whom I will call “The Petitioner”, of a civic-minded Facebook Community Group, has decided that jokes, satire, and harsh words are not only offensive but apparently litigious. The Petitioner filed a Rule 202 Petition in Denton County, which essentially allows a person to petition the court for an order to take a deposition before a lawsuit is filed to gather information and investigate potential claims or suits.
When I heard about it, I was surprised and asked why not just sue me and go through the discovery process. Probably because they knew our legal team would have filed an Anti-SLAPP in return, designed to protect individuals and organizations from meritless lawsuits that are filed to punish or silence them for exercising their constitutional rights.
Why a Rule 202 Petition? It is our opinion that they want to know who sits at the keyboard of Frisco Chronicles Whistleblower. You heard that right. Not suing (at least not yet), just poking the legal bear to see if anyone yelps. The Petitioner claims she wants a pre-suit deposition to investigate the potential of “cyber-stalking,” “defamation,” “intentional infliction of emotional distress,” and our personal favorite: “conspiracy to commit cyber-bullying.” Sounds like a Netflix docuseries in the making.
Many have asked – how did they know who to serve? Back on May 4th, we were emailed what appears to be a self-written Cease & Desist by Mr. Jake Petras. Petras cc’d on the email David Ovard at Clark Hill PLLC and said any response or correspondence should be sent to Ovard. You can read all about it in our blog Transparency & Accountability.
At Whistleblower, we don’t believe in coincidence. Petrus chose to identify an attorney who is connected to PGA Frisco and whose wife is the campaign treasurer for our Mayor, Jeff Cheney. Then, when the Rule 202 hearing came, we found it interesting that the Petitioner used the same firm, just a different attorney, to represent them in the Rule 202 hearing. It is like 6 degrees of separation, don’t you think?
Through email, we hired Steve Noskin, of Noskin Law Firm, PLLC, to respond to Mr. Petras, and we posted that. The Petitioner’s Attorney from Clark Hill PLLC in the Rule 202, had the notice sent to Noskin Law Firm and that is how the process began.
The Allegations: A Quick Recap
According to the petition, the petitioner was wounded by some brutal—but undeniably humorous—public commentary. We don’t want to publish the zingers here out of respect for the Petitioner, so you can click the link at the end of our blog to see all the court filings related to this case. We are sharing them as we know they are public record anyway.
Back to the Zingers! Three of the zingers were from our blog’s third-party comments. The handles associated with the comments include Flaming Moderate, Centrist Charlie, Scooter the MAGA Handler. We have no clue who any of these people are, and we have no way to identify them. When you leave a comment, it requires a name and email, but there is nothing to stop anyone from using a fake name and fake email, which happens on 99% of the comments.
Then came comments that were not even related to our page in any way! The comments were posted by a local Frisco Resident under an authored account (meaning their real name) on Facebook groups like North Texas Politics and What’s on Your Mind Collin and Denton County. What I found interesting is that the comments have nothing to do with my page; they are not associated with my page, and they were not published on or by my page.
We are not going to name the Frisco Resident, but we can assure you (just like we said in the depo) that while I may know this person, this person is not associated with our page, has never been involved behind the scenes of our page, he has not contributed to our page, and was not aware until after the DEPO who the author of Frisco Chronicles is.
Next, the Petitioner identified an offensive cartoon graphic of a woman dressed as Lady Justice that was created by ChatGPT. It made me wonder what the Petitioner thought about the recent AI Cartoon held at the election polls against a certain candidate.
To paraphrase her complaint in my own words: Someone is being really, really mean to me on the internet, Your Honor. Please force them to come out from behind the curtain so I can depose them to determine if I want to actually sue them. Boo Hoo.
The Response: Noskin’s Legal Napalm
Enter Steven Noskin, our attorney, who filed a response that the petitioner seeks to misuse Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 202 not for a legitimate investigatory purpose but as a tool to uncover the identity of an anonymous online speaker. Armed with the Constitution and a fire extinguisher for frivolous filings, Noskin’s response is a masterclass in polite courtroom smackdown.
The Petitioner has voluntarily entered public discourse via her Facebook Page, rendering her a limited-purpose public figure and anonymous criticism of public figures is afforded heightened protection under the First Amendment.
The Petitioner failed to establish any actionable false statement of fact. Meaning the allegedly offensive statements constitute rhetorical hyperbole, opinion, or satire. None of these are actionable under Texas Law.
The Petitioner doesn’t even know who said what. Rule 202 requires actual attribution, not “vibes.”
This is a textbook of First Amendment lawfare. As in, “I don’t like what was said about me, so I’ll try to shut them up.”
The Courts Decision
We were surprised to learn the court decided we need to sit for a deposition in July! The petitioner claims she is simply doing this to determine if she wants to sue. If that is the case, one would think that the Petitioner would not want to draw attention to the statements that were so potentially damaging. It makes us wonder how community members close to her knew the step-by-step details of our case to write their Haikus.
Fighting Back
Our attorney Steve Noskin brought on a second firm to assist with writing a “Petition for Writ of Mandamus” and a motion for emergency relief. That basically means they requested an emergency stay to stop the deposition. The motion for emergency relief was granted by the Second Court of Appeals for the State of Texas.
This gave the courts time to review the Writ of Mandamus and come to a decision. In this case, they agreed with the original ruling, which brought about the deposition that took place in August.
The Deposition
On August 12th, I sat for the deposition with my attorney present. I was asked tons of questions multiple different ways and answered every one of them to the best of my ability for what felt like six hours. Overall, nothing exciting to report. They did ask about several Frisco Residents and their potential involvement in Frisco Chronicles, and we told the truth, this has been a one-man show known as Me, Myself and I! It was a long, drawn-out day that ended with a sore ass and some beer! The Petitioner should be happy! Based on the post one might think someone is still bitter (meant to be humorous).
The Bigger Picture: Public Interest or Personal Vendetta?
Food for thought! It is our opinion that this petition isn’t about justice. It’s about Cabal control. It’s the local Frisco Facebook elite trying to legally swat at anonymous critics who dare to poke holes in their self-appointed halos. If you peel back the layers, it’s not about emotional distress—it’s about image management via subpoena.
Let’s be honest: Frisco Chronicles Whistleblower is a snarky, biting watchdog blog filled with satire and humor. We’re not out here selling hugs and rainbows. We are holding public figures accountable through parody and criticism. That’s our constitutional jam.
Petitioner Takes to Frisco Residents Who Cares Facebook Page
After the deposition, the Petitioner decided to write a summary of the events from her perspective, which she posted in the group she administers. The Petitioner starts off with how she shared some time back that her character, integrity, and abilities to administer her Facebook group were being attacked by Frisco Chronicles.
My Response: We never called the Petitioner a bad person; we actually commended her for her civil service to the community. We simply questioned how she administers her Facebook Group while calling it a community page. Her ability to administer her page was never out of her control, so I am unclear by what she means by they were under attack.
The Petitioner then proceeds she sought information regarding certain statements made against her and her efforts to obtain information were opposed in court. The judge at the hearing agreed with her and ordered us to sit for a deposition.
My Response: All True! Damn right we “opposed” her attorneys’ efforts.
1. Before making this a legal matter, which would expose the comments that she claims are so damaging in the petition, she could have reached out to us by email and asked us to remove the statements. Might have saved everyone a lot of time and money! Instead, she took it to legal proceedings where we have every LEGAL RIGHT to OPPOSE HER IN COURT. Where does it say we have to lay down and comply. Clearly, we are going to fight for our First Amendment Rights and not just roll over.
The Petitioner continues in her post that the “other side” waited until just before the deposition was to occur to file an emergency stay and Writ of Mandamus with the Court of Appeals. She goes on to say we posted a press release that led people to believe that the COA would overturn the trial Court’s Order.
My Response: This was not some sort of manipulative tactic to wait until the last minute. I weighed my options with my attorney, and we chose to file an appeal. MY LEGAL RIGHT! Sorry, the petitioner’s feelings got hurt because it was close to the deadline. Our attorneys did their due diligence to write it and file it. That takes time!
2. The Press Release we posted did not lead people to believe anything! It was our statement of fact from our attorney’s perspective. It was about our rights and what we hoped would prevail. Again, OUR LEGAL RIGHT and not misleading in any way!
The Petitioner then goes on to say that for weeks, in a lack of transparency, Frisco Chronicles did not inform the public that the Court of Appeals ruled against them. Then she says we have been deceptively silent about the outcome.
My Response: After the Appeals Court ruled we had to sit for a deposition, we wanted to make a statement, HOWEVER, my Attorney advised me that anything I say can be used against me in the deposition, and he advised me to continue to remain silent until the proceedings were concluded. That is not DECEPTIVE, that is called being LEGALLY SMART!
Hmmm, seems like the same reason the Petitioner gave for closing comments on her post. Just a reminder, “Comments are closed at this time DUE TO THE ONGOING NATURE OF THE MATTER!”
Why This Matters to You
It has major implications when it comes to free speech, and you should remember next time IT COULD BE YOU! If you write something that could hurt someone’s feelings on Facebook, Reddit, or even a blog, it could open the door for you to have to spend thousands of dollars to be represented while you go through a deposition / Rule 202 Hearing from a future Petitioner coming after you!
It sets a dangerous precedent:
Satire becomes a risk.
Anonymous watchdogs get unmasked.
Powerful people can sue you just to shut you up.
This is a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. It’s legal cosplay with the goal of silencing dissent. And if you think it stops with Frisco Chronicles, you’re next when you call out HOA drama, school board nonsense, Facebook admins, or city officials.
Closing Thoughts from FWB
Frisco Chronicles has been called many things online and we have not been butt-hurt enough to try to sniff out a wizard behind a curtain to depose them. We understand our blog invites others to criticize, question, and call us out. We don’t get our feelings hurt and say Now we might sue you! If we allowed every person who got roasted online to sue the roasters, the court system would crash faster than the petitioner’s reputation in a comment thread.
We still owe Noskin Law big bucks for defending us because of someone’s hurt feelings. Our Go Fund Me is still open and donations can be mailed directly to his office.
We exist to poke, prod, satirize, and expose. Everything written is published based on Public Info Requests (PIR), public record searches, anonymous sources, and/or documented evidence, which is posted with the blogs. If you don’t like what we publish, maybe it’s not libel — perhaps it’s just a little too close to the truth. In Texas, we love our constitutional rights as much as we love barbecue and holding politicians’ feet to the fire.
Moving forward, we will not allow 3rd party comments on our blog. Solely to protect you, our reader, and ourselves! The Petitioner may choose to sue me, which is her right. Not sure what she will get from a single dad, who cares for his disabled son. The most expensive item I own is probably my toupee and the six-pack of beer in my fridge. If the Petitioner wants it that badly, she can have it.
As for Frisco Chronicles, our mission will continue! I am not going anywhere! We have some big elections coming up and we will be diving into each of the candidates searching for those who will represent the citizens’ needs, not their own!
Sincerely,
Frisco Chronicles Whistleblower
Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief. It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary. Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentional satirical. Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.
Politics is nasty. No surprise there. It attracts the best and the worst in people—but mostly the worst when election season heats up like a June sidewalk in Texas. And while anonymous commentary has long been a staple of free speech (hey, Frisco Whistleblower isn’t exactly sending selfies), there’s a wide, dusty canyon between anonymity and outright impersonation.
Let’s make this clear: creating an anonymous account to voice your opinion is one thing. Creating a fake account using someone else’s real photo, name, and identity? That’s a whole other universe of dirty. And in that universe, you’re not just trolling your political enemies—you’re potentially slandering innocent people and opening them up to have their reputational ruined, legal jeopardy, or worse.
Case in point: a local keyboard warrior operating under the name Bryan Bridges III (sometimes known as Ezra Bridges) has been bouncing around social media like a pinball, slapping his name on some big accusations and slinging insults like confetti at a cheap parade. The problem? The smiling face on Bryan’s profile pic? That’s not Bryan. That’s James Bridges—a real man who lives near the Oklahoma border, works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and whose wife of 36 years is a Texas schoolteacher. He is a father of two sons and a grandfather of four grandchildren. He leads Bible studies and hosts weekly FCA huddles.
We are guessing James Bridges is not the Frisco flamethrower or political hatchet man. We are guessing he is just a man, living his life, who probably has no idea his photo is being used to publicly drag elected officials, political candidates, and constituents through the digital mud.
We like to fact check, so we have reached out to James Bridges via email and will be reaching out to his wife as well. We will of course let you know how he responds. If he responds the way we think he might, it’s going to be a doozy. We’ve taken all the screenshots sent to us of Bryan Bridges III comments and archived them as evidence. And if Mr. Bridges didn’t give consent for his image to be used in this toxic identity-theft theater, then “Bryan Bridges III” might be facing more than a few angry replies. He might be facing a libel suit.
Let’s stop and think about this: what if James’s employer stumbles across these posts and assumes he’s the one spouting off? What if someone at his wife’s school district mistakes him for the venomous ghostwriter behind the name? This is the sort of stunt that doesn’t just smear political opponents—it scorches innocent bystanders, too.
There’s a word for people who do this kind of thing: cowards. Cowards with no moral compass, hiding behind stolen faces because they know that if they showed their own, they’d have to answer for the mess they’re making. Maybe if they showed their face then we would know if they were the spouse of a council member, or a town bully, or maybe the sister of a political candidate.
Frisco deserves better than this kind of clown show. Say what you want, stand for what you believe—but do it under your own name or be completely anonymous. But don’t put real people on the line who don’t even live in our town to carry out your devious acts. Frisco Whistleblower has never claimed to be anyone but a resident of Frisco. We are not portraying ourselves as anyone we are not, we are just not disclosing who we are. Very different!
Because when you steal someone else’s identity just to hurl insults in a local election? That’s not speech. That’s sabotage. And we’re not letting it slide.
Let us know what you think:
Should the Frisco Police investigate this?
Should our city council members demand an investigation into this, the same way they did into the so-called “illegal recordings per Laura Woodward and Bryan Bridges III?” If they would like James Bridges information, we are happy to supply it to them.
Well, Frisco…we didn’t have this one on the bingo card today. The soap opera that is Frisco politics just added another act, and this one had all the flair of a daytime drama mixed with a deleted tweet. Today, we were all witnesses to what could’ve been a turning point — or at the very least, a moment of reckoning. That is, until it vanished faster than ethics at a campaign fundraiser.
This morning, Marcia Locke, fiancée of Councilman John Keating, broke her silence on the now-infamous Toxic Tammy Tapes. You know the ones — the recordings that have been circulating through local inboxes and Facebook threads like wildfire through a dry prairie.
Not only did she break her silence, but boy did she come in swinging a bat that was on fire. In a now-deleted social media post, Locke took to her page and finally addressed what we’ve all been talking about in hushed tones and wide-eyed reactions:
“I can no longer accept the pressure to stay silent,” she began. “I am not okay with what has been thrown at myself or my family… Politics is one thing… Being a person of integrity is a requirement of an elected official… and I have to speak my truth.”
Let’s pause for applause. 👏👏👏
But then Marcia didn’t stop there. She went full-on mic drop mode, calling out Councilmember Tammy Meinershagen directly:
“Tammy, you were exposed!!!”
Then—like a twist in a Netflix docuseries—she receipts us. Locke posted a screenshot from our very own comment section, a post from a reader named Rick, thanking him for telling the truth.
“Accountability is not persecution,” Locke wrote. “Those were your actions, your words, your choice, and your consequences. I look forward to early voting tomorrow!”
🔥 Mic. Drop. Honestly? It felt bold. It felt brave. It felt truthful.
Ladies and gentlemen, for a few shining hours, we thought finally, someone with firsthand knowledge, courage, and ties to the inner circle was willing to stand up, take the heat, and say what needed to be said.
We were so floored we even commented on the post ourselves—respectfully, of course. We said we were glad she spoke out and told her truth, but also disappointed it took this long. After all, when the house is burning, it doesn’t help to show up with a water hose two years later. But then…
Poof!!! The Post Was Deleted.
Gone. Like it never existed. No follow-up. No explanation. Just silence.
And now, we’re left wondering: What happened?
Did a certain councilman, mayor or city manager make a phone call?
Did someone remind her of who’s pulling the marionette strings on the cabal puppets?
Was there pressure from a political ally?
Did the local Cabal whisper in her ear?
Or did someone with influence promise support… in exchange for silence?
Who knows? But what we do know is this:
For one minute, Marcia had the guts and glory to speak up—and then someone, somewhere, convinced her to un-speak. That’s not transparency. That’s political puppetry. And it reeks. It is the clearest sign yet of the power behind the scenes in Frisco politics.
If politics is theater, then this was the deleted scene they didn’t want you to see. Which only confirms what many in Frisco already suspect—truth is dangerous here, and the pressure to suppress it comes fast and hard. We can vouch for that as we were served papers ourselves today. More details to come about that!
We applaud Marcia for finding her voice, even if it was just for a few hours. We hope she finds it again. And next time, we hope she doesn’t give it up so easily. Because, like she said, “integrity is a requirement of elected officials.” That must mean that the silence in the face of corruption isn’t just disappointing, it’s complicity. We will be reminding you of John Keating’s silence when he jumps to run for Mayor in a year!
Ah yes, the newest myth making the rounds in Frisco’s political whisper network: “Tammy Meinershagen was tricked. Led astray. Lured into saying those things she obviously believes. It’s not her fault—it was a setup!”
Cue the dramatic violin. Please.
Let’s be clear:This isn’t a conspiracy—it’s a confession. Tammy wasn’t led anywhere. She wasn’t prompted. No one shoved a script in her hand and said, “go ruin your credibility.” What you heard in those tapes was not stumbles or slips. They were her unfiltered opinions—her beliefs, her attitude toward other fellow leaders, and her disdain for her constituents laid bare.
But Tammy supporters? They’ll believe anything—as long as it lets them avoid looking in the mirror at the cold hard truth. Anything except the truth.
The Silence of the Cabal
Now let’s talk about the rest of the Frisco elite—those quiet pillars of complicity who heard these same tapes and responded with… crickets.
Jeff Cheney: Silent.
John Keating: Silent.
Bill Woodard: Silent.
Former officials mentioned in the recordings: Dead silent.
Their SILENCE makes them complicit to the thoughts and actions displayed on the Toxic Tammy Tapes. Silence isn’t just a lack of words—it’s a choice. A political calculation. A fear-driven retreat into the shadows. And if you want to be mayor of Frisco but can’t speak out when a sitting council member exposes herself as part of a toxic, backroom clique that mocks constituents and violates confidence, then guess what:
You are not fit to be mayor.
You don’t deserve the trust of the public if your response is to remain silent, then wait and see which way the wind blows.
The Keating Episode
Now, about John Keating. When the tapes dropped, he said nothing publicly. But privately? Oh, we heard from him. Trust us, we debated long and hard whether to release what he told us, because we have rules. One of them is protecting real sources (aka whistleblowers). However, let’s be clear: Asking us to scrub information about your family out of the tapes doesn’t make you a whistleblower, it makes you someone who is asking for a favor. And we don’t owe you favors.
Keating was upset that his kids were mentioned in the recordings. And rightly so. He sent us an email on Friday, May 2nd at 6:46pm asking us to remove or edit out the portion about his sons, or references to them. That’s right, instead of confronting Tammy Meinershagen, who aired private conversations she had with his ex-wife, he came to Frisco Chronicles asking for a favor.
To be very clear, we understand why Keating is upset and we respect it. His kids (even though they are grown) don’t deserve to be in the discussion. They are private citizens who did not ask for their life to be on blast. However, let us be plainly clear – we are not the ones who put them on blast…. Tammy Meinershagen did! It does not matter if the meeting was recorded or not; she should never have brought it up to someone else outside of her conversation with John or Leslie. Tammy Meinershagen broke the confidence, broke the trust, and broke the friendship lines and barriers. NO ONE ELSE!
On May 3rd at 3:11 AM we wrote Mr. Keating back and said thank you for request. Removing it now is nearly impossible as it has already been uploaded and shared. We told him we understood his frustration, however we are not the ones who brought his kids into this – Tammy Meinershagen did. We did ask our tech guy if there was a way to take it out after being posted (to be kind) but he told us there was not.
That say day, May 3rd at 7:54 AM, John Keating replied and said he understood and agreed “Tammy is responsible for all of this.”
He then continued to tell us, “Despite playing a small role in the overall story, I must say, the written narratives were very clever, wickedly entertaining, and at times, hysterically funny.”
He closed his email with “I hope the community does hold Meinershagen accountable for what she said. She certainly offended all four corners of Frisco with insults, bigotry, jealousy, and hatred.” Yet publicly, Keating remained silent! Never once standing up for the four corners of Frisco he mentions. This is a man who already discussing with folks his bid for Mayor when Cheney’s term ends. He is already actively asking for endorsements for when that time comes.
HOW DO YOU ENDORSE A GUY, SUPPORT A GUY, WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND STAYED SILENT?
We’ll say it as directly and plainly as possible: If you’re more upset about being exposed than about the bad behavior being exposed—you’re part of the problem. Keating has endorsed Gopal and been across the city with him the last month wooing the South Asian community to vote for Gopal. He will also be at the polls with Gopal, why? Keating expects Gopal to do the same in return when he runs for Mayor and he knows he can’t and won’t win with out the South Asian vote!
WAKE UP SOUTH ASIANS!!!! NEITHER GOPAL, NOR KEATING CARE ABOUT THE SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY. THEY STRICTLY WANT YOUR MONEY AND YOUR VOTE! IF THEY DID CARE, THEY WOULD HAVE STOOD UP FOR THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF REMAINING SILENT AND COMPLICIT!
A Final Word to the Voters
Next time Keating—or any silent leader—asks for your vote, remember what they said when the city needed courage. Nothing.
If you can’t speak up when your own political ally crosses the line, don’t pretend you’ll fight for the rest of us when the stakes are higher.
Truth doesn’t need a PR campaign. It just needs a spine. And Frisco’s voters deserve leaders who have one.
In April of 2021 you would have thought an El Paso dust storm full of tumbleweeds came through Frisco and upset the equilibrium of our city. As we discussed in our earlier blogs Where There Is Smoke PT 1 and There is Fire PT 2, there has been a long standing point of contention between the Frisco Firefighters Association and the city in regards to workers compensation.
In 2021 the city opposed House Bill 2242 brought forward by Jared Patterson, Texas State House Rep for Frisco. In 2023 the FFA and Patterson brought HB 471, and they have been working extremely hard to get it or similar legislation passed in Austin that would protect first responders across Texas. The fight for more protection by the FFA and Jared Paterson has continued into our 2025 Texas Legislative Session.
Even though we knew about the El Paso dust storm, my wife and I were still shocked on May 16, 2023, after tuning into the city council meeting online, like we have done every other Tuesday for years. Mayor Cheney presented a proclamation to Denton County MGMR, for all the work they do each day relating to mental health. Mental Health Awareness Month aims to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being and provide resources and information to support individuals and communities in need of mental health support.
At that same meeting, during Citizen Input (23:00 minute mark), Frisco Firefighters Association President, Matt Sapp, along with Retired Frisco Fire Chief Mark Piland, and Assistant Fire Chief Cameron Kraemer to address the termination of Kraemer, a 27-year Veteran of the Frisco Fire Department.
What? After 27-years serving our city and its residents without hesitation, Kraemer was terminated BY EMAIL while on medical leave and under medical supervision for PTSD which we go into more detail about in our blog Backdraft which we really encourage you to read.
By the end of the meeting, I wanted to scream like Alanis Morrissette…
Isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think? A little too ironic
Where are we two years later? It is Mental Health Awareness Month again, and the second anniversary of Kraemer’s termination BY EMAIL while on medical leave. The fight is not over, not even close! It’s time to peel back the curtain on a firehouse-sized problem simmering here in Frisco? Buckle up, this one’s got smoke, politics, and no small dose of Texas-sized irony.
Smoke, Stigma & Silenced: Mark Piland
Since then, Retired Fire Chief Mark Piland has had his name wrongfully smeared and his 40-year stellar career in public service wrongfully attacked by City of Frisco leaders for speaking out on behalf of Kraemer and the Frisco Firefighters Association when he attempted to run for Frisco City Council.
The Legislative Lifeline
When your city will not support you, what do you do? The Frisco Firefighters Association has continued the fight and has been in Austin off and on the last several weeks with local State Rep Jared Patterson to fight for more protection for public safety employees in the State of Texas. Just today, HB331 officially headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law! The bill marks the final piece of legislation language from last session’s HB471 that our Frisco Firefighters have been advocating for the past three legislative sessions.
A Firefighters Fight: Cameron Kraemer
And Cameron Kraemer, where is he? Kraemer, while still under medical supervision, started the fight of his life against our very own City of Frisco. After a hearing on September 21, 2023, before the Texas Department of Insurance, the DMN reports that the administrative law judge hearing the case ORDERED THE CITY OF FRISCO, which is self-insured, to pay Kraemer benefits and any accrued but unpaid income benefits in a lump sum with interest as provided by law. According to John Riddle, president of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, Kraemer’s case is being watched throughout Texas, and it is important to the state’s 18,000 firefighters in 195 communities. Riddle said in the DMN, “For now, Frisco is among the most aggressive cities in fighting its injured employees at City Hall and the Legislature — and because of that, employees like Cameron Kraemer pay a high price.”
The battle continued as Kraemer took his case before the DOJ for them to determine if he was able to sue the city for wrongful termination which we wrote about in our blog Big Time Casino Payout. The DOJ ruled Kraemer could move forward with a lawsuit so in August 2024 Cameron Kraemer filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination against the City of Frisco in Collin County. Based on the research we have done, Kraemer is going to win, and we think he will win big! You can learn more in our December 2024 blog Kraemer vs City of Frisco that we wrote which lays out the details.
Final Thoughts from the Hillside Winery Whistleblower
Ask yourself why. Why is the city spending hundreds of thousands on a private law firm to fight so hard and drag this out for so long, when clearly, they are in the wrong? Why is the city spending tax dollars fighting our public safety employees instead of protecting them and just doing the right thing? What will this cost us, the taxpayers, when he wins? Our guess…. MILLIONS! But that is not all. We are hearing rumors of other lawsuits that have been or will be filed by former employees of the FD against the City of Frisco. We are digging into that now!
They had all the time in the world to prance around asking us to vote to change the use of EDC funds for a Frisco Center For The Arts but they cannot simply make things right with the firefighters. Instead, we have Councilwoman Meinershagen calling them 300lb bullies and complaining that they are fighting for protections that directly affect their life. We have Bicycle Bill Woodard, who wants you to believe the firefighters are lazy (his words during the May 2024 election), and they want to bankrupt the city. You can’t get a paycheck from a bankrupt city, so why would they want to do that? Cheney and Keating want you to believe that our RETIRED Fire Chief was fired after a stellar career with the city and 10 years of perfect performance reviews. Not to mention, in our PIR requests and federal FOIA’s, we found his entire 40-year career was stellar with not one deficient performance review. Lastly, no one is paying attention to the fact that in the last 6 to 8 months, several (rumor is 6 to 8) of our firefighters are saying Hasta La Vista Baby either via retirement or quitting their job. They are going to work for other organizations and cities where they are valued.
Just hope and pray your house does not catch fire because we were already short staffed and now it is getting worse! The city loyalists just turn a blind eye as always, and function as if nothing if wrong. They want you to believe we have nothing to be worried about, but as a taxpayer you can bet, I am worried! Big Time Payouts, the loss of experienced firefighters from our roster puts citizens and businesses in jeopardy.
I literally just saw this. Yeah, she used to forward everybody’s emails behind their backs.
You're dropping truth bombs! These mom and pop shops are what should be the least of Karen's worries. If they…
Interesting Article
I don't know, Patrick, and I'm not familiar with SREC, so I'm unable to answer your questions.
Hi Patrick—when is your SREC30 meeting. Missed the one and want to together before Sept.