[TheVillageChicken]

According to The Villages News, he couldn't take the heat.

[rubicon]

The story line is "Tucker resigns" but we do not know what actually happened? Was it a face saving overture? Frankly I do not care one way or another but I do not readily accept everything I read, see or hear as gospel

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by TheVillageChicken

According to The Villages News, he couldn't take the heat.

What day was the article that he "couldn't take the heat"?

[JB in TV]

Pardon my ignorance, but who is Tucker?

[skip0358]

Chief Tucker was the Chief of The Villages Fire Dept. IF he resigned he must have had good reasons. He was a well educated and decorated chief. Did an awful lot of work to bring the Public Safety Dept. to where it is today. As I've said IF he resigned leave it at that it was his choice let's not beat him up or destroy his name. JMO

[JB in TV]

Originally Posted by skip0358

Chief Tucker was the Chief of The Villages Fire Dept. IF he resigned he must have had good reasons. He was a well educated and decorated chief. Did an awful lot of work to bring the Public Safety Dept. to where it is today. As I've said IF he resigned leave it at that it was his choice let's not beat him up or destroy his name. JMO

Gotcha...thanks...just didn't recognize the name

[graciegirl]

I don't know, but I do know that I received a vicious email from someone who thinks that any corporal punishment of children is wrong. I do not think that any corporal punishment of children is wrong. Many kids need nothing but the parents disapproval and taking away privileges, but not all kids are cut from the same cloth and you have a better chance of directing them without a smack on the bottom if they arrive as babies...in my opinion.


I have heard that Chief Tucker and his wife adopted children who were not infants and who had problems due to their sad beginnings. Like all parents, that puts them in charge of them and makes them responsible to keep them from doing things that would harm themselves and others. This kid is a teen. If anyone has raised teens they know that some can be very defiant and very physical and very WRONG.


I think that Chief Tucker has done what he thinks best for the community he served with such honor.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I don't know, but I do know that I received a vicious email from someone who thinks that any corporal punishment of children is wrong. I do not think that any corporal punishment of children is wrong. Many kids need nothing but the parents disapproval and taking away privileges, but not all kinds are gonna listen.


I have heard that Chief Tucker and his wife adopted children who were not infants and had problems. Like all parents, that puts them in charge of them and makes them responsible to keep them from doing things that would harm themselves and others. This kid is a teen. If anyone has raised teens they can be very defiant and very physical and very WRONG.


I think that Chief Tucker has done what he thinks best for the community he served with such honor.

Well stated Gracie!

I know some fine people who adopted troubled children who, frankly, had more "issues" than almost anyone could handle. Their stories are not pretty.

[BarryRX]

Originally Posted by TheVillageChicken

According to The Villages News, he couldn't take the heat.

When I read the following from the Village News article that you reference
"The events of the past few weeks have taken a tremendous toll on both my family and me. With family being my first consideration, it is time to heal and restore that familial foundation that has been challenged to the core."
I did not interpret it as "not being able to take the heat" as you did.

[KathieI]

My opinion is this is a sad situation. There was so much speculation, rumors and gossip and we were never actually given any facts (not that we should have), and not many people or families can overcome that much controversy from their community. His service spoke for itself and I think this is a terrible loss for us. I hope that his family can overcome this and they can heal any problems they incurred.

[TexaninVA]

Originally Posted by rubicon

The story line is "Tucker resigns" but we do not know what actually happened? Was it a face saving overture? Frankly I do not care one way or another but I do not readily accept everything I read, see or hear as gospel

Agree ... based on what I saw happen in previous organizations for roughly analogous situations, my guess (ie speculation) is the whole situation got too hot for the VPSD, and the PR was terrible. Thus, the Chief was encouraged to move on. To give them credit, they did it in the most face saving way possible.

[billethkid]

it is usually one of those mutual type agreements like it would be better to resign than to be fired!! (usually)

Due more to optics than practicality (my personal opinion).

[marianne237]

So sorry over this whole situation for the Chief and his family.

[aaffmom]

No child deserves to be hit. In fact no one deserves to be hit. I don't care who he is or what kind of job he has done.

[redwitch]

Having raised a child that was horribly neglected and abused prior to my adopting her, I have great sympathy for Chief Tucker. To say that raising a child that was adopted other than as a newborn is difficult is putting it mildly -- sadly, for some of these kids' issues, there is no treatment that works. Sometimes, the best you can hope for is that your child doesn't get on drugs, doesn't go to jail, is still alive at 25. There are no easy answers and even those of us who have walked in his shoes cannot say what is right or wrong in his case. Should he have used force on his son? Of course not but that doesn't mean it isn't understandable and forgivable.

As to his resigning, I don't buy it. His attorney specifically said they were going to ask that Chief Tucker be reinstated. I think most of TV wanted Chief Tucker back -- he did a truly admirable job and, from what I have heard, deserved the accolades he received. His personal life was none of our business. This was something that should have been handled in family court with no publicity. However, since there was publicity and since Chief Tucker was first charged with felony child abuse, I'm sure that Ms. Tutt, et al., had some serious misgivings about reinstating Chief Tucker. I totally agree with TexaninVA.