Third lawsuit filed against Magnolia mayor over alleged assault fallout

Expanding legal challenges associated with allegations that Matthew "Doc" Dantzer assaulted a city employee during work travel last year, a third lawsuit has been filed against him.

Dantzer and Magnolia City are both named in the most recent complaint, which was submitted to the Southern District of Texas U.S. District Court on Tuesday. Christopher Whittaker filed the lawsuit, alleging that he was subjected to retaliation and a violation of his First Amendment rights as a result of his reporting of allegations against the mayor.

April 11 marked Dantzer's arrest, and he was subsequently accused of official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor, and assault of a pregnant person, a third-degree felony. The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office is currently prosecuting the case. He has since been released on parole.

The lawsuit is the result of an October incident in Fort Worth in which Christian Gable accused Dantzer of assault. Gable submitted a human resources complaint in November, which led to a third-party investigation commissioned by the city. Officials subsequently characterized the investigation as "inconclusive."

Whittaker alleges that the investigation was a "cover-up" and that he was subjected to immediate retaliation after reporting the incident to various agencies, such as the Texas Rangers, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the Fort Worth Police Department.

According to the lawsuit, Whittaker reported the alleged assault to state and local authorities to garner some external attention.

Whittaker notified city leadership of what he characterized as a hostile work environment and sought protection under the Texas Whistleblower Act, according to court filings. He was suspended with pay within hours of submitting that request. The Magnolia City Council voted 4-0 the following day to terminate his employment.

The lawsuit claims that the organization has created a "hostile work environment" designed to discourage employees from reporting misconduct.

The latest lawsuit stems from two previous lawsuits linked to the same incident. On March 17, former Human Resources Director Kristy Powell submitted one, while Gable submitted another on April 8. Both lawsuits allege retaliation and harassment related to the October accusation.

Daniel Atkinson, Dantzer's counsel, has declined to provide any commentary regarding the ongoing civil cases and criminal charges. Dantzer has denied the allegations.

Court records indicate that Dantzer has not yet submitted any responses to the civil lawsuits.

The cases are still ongoing, with numerous legal challenges pending in both state and federal courts.