Elkhart hearing examines allegations that firefighter harassed ER nurses; hospital issues no‑trespass notice

The Elkhart Fire Merit Commission convened a disciplinary hearing over firefighter Jason Lance that focused on allegations by multiple Elkhart General Hospital nurses that Lance repeatedly pursued and harassed them, including a November 6, 2024 incident in the hospital’s emergency department. Elkhart General has issued a no‑trespass notice barring Lance from its premises and Fire Chief Rodney Dale submitted a charging letter recommending Lance’s immediate termination.

Why it matters: The allegations raise personnel, public‑safety and liability questions for the city. Nurses testifying to an intimidating workplace could prompt discipline up to termination under city personnel rules and state statute; the city’s HR director said the department’s investigation supports the chief’s recommendation but the case also includes disputed evidence and legal questions about which policy governs off‑duty conduct.

Most of the testimony came from current and former Elkhart General nurses who described repeated, unwanted contacts by Lance — by phone, text and social media — and interactions at work they said made them uncomfortable. Nurse Lane Ingalls testified she was approached in a small area near commodes while on duty and that she told Lance to leave, saying, “I told him that he needed to go.” Several other nurses described similar unwelcome attention and said they felt uneasy about Lance returning to the emergency room.

Rodney Dale, Elkhart’s fire chief, placed the incident in a broader pattern and attached the hospital’s subsequent no‑trespass decision and prior discipline to his charging letter. An email from Chief Dale read into the record stated, “If the charges are proven to be true, he absolutely should be fired,” language echoed in the charging document filed with the commission.

City HR and hospital witnesses described the post‑incident process: hospital security reviewed video footage and provided a set of screenshots to the city; Elkhart’s HR director, Wayne Bilak, said his follow‑up investigation concluded the November incident occurred, involved use of restricted ambulance‑bay access while Lance was off duty, and left a nurse upset. The hospital’s risk manager testified the institution issued a no‑trespass notice to protect staff after reporting and internal review.

Defense counsel, Patrick O’Leary, disputed the reach and weight of the evidence. He told the commission the conduct alleged by the nurses was often part of workplace relationships between EMS personnel and emergency‑room staff and argued the city has applied rules inconsistently. O’Leary also highlighted missing video: hospital security provided screenshots but the full surveillance feed was not preserved on the server beyond its routine 30–40 day retention, and defense attorneys argued the absence of continuous footage undercut claims about the location and severity of the encounter on November 6.

The hearing also included testimony about an earlier, separate disciplinary incident in 2023 in which Lance was demoted and suspended after a finding he struck a patient; HR and city witnesses noted that prior discipline factored into the commission’s review. The defense stressed statutory and contractual limits on retroactive discipline and argued job rules were applied unevenly.

No final commission vote or decision appears in the transcript. The hearing record closes after extensive testimony and closing arguments by city and defense counsel; the transcript shows the commission planned to deliberate following the hearing but did not record a final outcome.

The record: The commission admitted a set of documentary exhibits (screenshots, emails, policy documents) into the hearing record and heard in‑person testimony from multiple nurses, hospital risk and security staff, Elkhart assistant chiefs and HR staff, and union representatives. Hospital witnesses confirmed a no‑trespass letter was issued; city HR recommended the chief’s charging letter be considered for termination proceedings.

What’s next: The transcript ends with closing arguments and adjournment; the commission’s formal deliberations and any final action were not recorded in the public transcript.