GALVESTON
Former Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis on Monday filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Park Board of Trustees, its CEO and chairman asserting they failed to properly inform him of complaints that led to his firing, denied him a required “name-clearing” hearing, breached a contract by not paying him severance and withheld details of his employment status from him while leaking them to the press.
Davis is demanding to be paid severance and the name-clearing hearing, which his attorney asserts is required under both the U.S. and Texas constitutions, according to court documents.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas names Park Board Chair Jason Hardcastle and Interim CEO Marty Miles as defendants in their official capacities.
“While we appreciate the many years of service Peter Davis gave to the Galveston community, we feel he made several choices that unfortunately led to us making the difficult decision to let him go,” Miles said. “We cannot go into detail right now, but we look forward to presenting our case in court.”
The park board said Davis was not owed severance because he was fired for cause, according to a letter from its attorneys.
Davis’ lawsuit addressed all incidents the city cited in its termination of employment letter to him, denying wrongdoing or responsibility and demanding severance.
Incidents included a park board employee embezzling money from the Galveston Lifeguarding Association, an associated nonprofit; failing to disclose his wife’s company would be paid to provide cultural sensitivity training to Beach Patrol employees, allowing Chilean lifeguards to stay in Beach Patrol headquarters at Stewart Beach Pavilion, signing a contract with Texas Ironman Association and using Beach Patrol equipment at Galveston Lifeguarding Association without compensation, according to court documents.
Davis worked for the Beach Patrol for 42 years and acted as its chief for 19 years, until he was fired July 8 after multiple investigations into Beach Patrol operations.
Davis was fired after being placed on unpaid leave March 29 while the park board investigated claims that he allowed visiting lifeguards from the National Chilean Lifeguard Federation to stay in the Stewart Beach Pavilion in 2024.
Davis asserts he was not given a copy of complaints sent to the park board that led to concerns about his ability to lead Beach Patrol, according to court documents.
He had a heightened legal right to be informed about complaints and that complaints must be made in writing because he’s a sworn peace officer, according to the lawsuit.
Because he didn’t have a chance to review, refute or correct the complaints, he cannot be disciplined, the lawsuit asserts.
Attorneys for the park board argued the decision to fire Davis did not stem from complaints, and therefore the board was not obliged to present them to him in writing, according to court documents.
Davis was aware of the park board’s concerns after former CEO Kimberly Danesi told him about them on April 29, Stephanie Hamm, an attorney at Thompson & Horton LLP, which represents the Park Board of Trustees, said in a letter to Davis’ attorney.
Davis’ attorney did not respond to request for comment by press time.
Davis also claims the park board either didn’t investigate the incidents they cited as concerning or the investigations were improperly conducted, according to court documents.
Davis also alleges that the park board never gave him an opportunity to speak publicly in his own defense, according to court documents.
The park board offered Davis an opportunity to speak in public at one of its meetings, according to court documents.
Davis argued that anyone can speak during a park board meeting and that forum would not allow him an independent arbitrator, as required by the state and federal constitutions, according to court documents.
Davis’ lawsuit asserts the park board withheld details about why he was placed on leave March 29 then leaked those details to the press and forbade him to speak to the press.
It further asserts Davis was fired for political reasons, according to court documents.
“Chief Davis has become a casualty of troubling political games as the park board struggles to justify its existence amid mismanagement, territorial disputes, and administrative overreach,” the lawsuit said.
“Viewed as insufficiently loyal to the current park board leadership, Davis was forced out under dubious circumstances based on flimsy and baseless charges.”
