40/29 reports on an investigation of a state driver’s license examiner after a mother complained he’d sent inappropriate texts to her 17-year-old daughter. The examiner got a five-day suspension but was allowed to return to work, despite a past history of similar complaints.

One text said “Come love with me.” The examiner, Jon Phillips, said that was a product of autocorrect and should have said, “Come drive with me.” He was suspended without pay for five days over the complaint.

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In the final administrative decision, the ASP Director, Colonel William Bryant, wrote “I considered the nature of your violations and specific facts surrounding your violations of ASP policy. I also took into account your past disciplinary history involving the same behavior and issues; specifically, you were counseled in May 2013, October 2014, April 2-15, and June 2015.”

Those previous issues are what the department thought was the appearance of inappropriate “interactions with primarily young, minor females who were at D.L. to take the written or practical portion of the driving test.”

Phillips is a State Police employee, but not a sworn officer.

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