Aaron Savage lives up to his last name by threatening village councilman over registrant at Xmas Parade

I experienced a fire last year, so obviously I hold firefighters in high regard. But not all firefighters are heroes. This guy is anything but.

https://www.lenconnect.com/news/20200106/clayton-village-council-meeting-attendees-support-santa

Clayton Village Council meeting attendees support Santa

Man in final year on sex offender registry portrayed Santa Claus in village Christmas celebration

By Dmitriy Shapiro
Daily Telegram Staff Writer

Posted Jan 6, 2020 at 11:26 PM
Updated Jan 6, 2020 at 11:26 PM
 
CLAYTON — In a well attended Clayton Village Council meeting Monday, Clayton residents and council members expressed support for village streets commissioner John Ernest Lee, who became embroiled in controversy for appearing as Santa Claus in the village’s Christmas parade, despite being a registered sex offender.

Lee was convicted of fourth degree criminal sexual conduct in 1995, at age 23, requiring him to register as a Tier 2 sex offender for 25 years.

According to records from Lee’s appeal, which was denied by the Michigan Court of Appeals, the complainant accused Lee of grabbing her from behind, touching her breasts over her clothing and lowering his hands to unbutton her pants until she broke free.

Near the close of the meeting, village President Mark Jeffrey read a statement, backing the board’s decision to have Lee, 47, dress as Santa while riding on a village fire truck driven by Clayton Assistant Fire Chief Joe Garrow, then receiving children at the fire department’s building, giving them presents.

“When you hear this story on the news or read it online, it sounds bad. If you’re not from the village or you don’t know the people that sit on this board, it sounds horrible. But if you live here and you know the board, you see the good that they do and the good that John does, it doesn’t seem that bad,” Jeffrey said. ”... Most of us that live here know the story and many of us were here when it happened. They put him on the list and he was to stay on that list for 25 years. This November he gets off the list. Over the last 24 years the council’s felt that he has earned our trust. ... John is not a sexual predator. He’s a public servant, a father and a friend.”

Jeffrey’s statement received applause from the majority of the audience.

Prior to his statement, Jeffrey nominated Lee to serve as street commissioner for 2020, which was unanimously approved by a board vote.

Aaron Savage, a firefighter who brought the issue to light, spoke at a public comment session following Jeffrey’s statement, accusing the board of not doing its due diligence when deciding to appoint Lee as Santa Claus.

“This isn’t about John. It has been spun about John. This is directly to you the council. This is a gross misconduct to allow anybody ... on an offender list, to be ... dressed as a Santa, and ... placed into a fire department,” Savage said. “You say that it sounds bad, because if you go anywhere else, it is bad. Nobody in the general public outside of this area would agree with this.”

Savage’s statement was met with disbelief from audience and board members.

Board member Stephen DeLine II, a fire board liaison, responded to Savage’s claims by accusing Savage and another firefighter of dragging Lee’s name through the mud by bringing publicity to the situation. DeLine claimed that Savage had been at the fire board meeting when it discussed appointing Lee, but did not raise the issue at the meeting.

Savage denied that the issue was brought up at a fire board meeting.

DeLine’s earlier reading of minutes from the Dec. 19 fire board meeting did not include mention of the department’s Christmas festivities.

Board member Cathy Brown asked Savage why he did not say anything during the previous year when she recalled telling him who was in the Santa Claus suit.

Savage also denied speaking to Brown the previous year, instead he argued he spoke with a different board member.

DeLine continued, accusing Savage of threatening to kill him when he went to the fire station Friday.

“You flew off the handle and had to be held back by three other people. Threatened myself, threatened to kill me multiple times,” DeLine said. “And you threatened to kill every single one of these council members sitting at this table that made the decision to put John Lee on the fire truck as Santa Claus.”

Clayton Fire Chief Steve Nichelson, who attended the meeting, nodded his head in agreement to DeLine’s accusations.

Savage denied that he made any threats, saying that he had evidence to prove it but would not go into detail into the nature of the evidence, saying that he may need it in the future.

At the request of the council, the meeting was attended by two deputies from the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office to ensure tensions didn’t escalate.

Lee said after the meeting adjourned that he was thankful for the support he was receiving from the meeting attendees and that he had put the conviction long behind him.

“You would probably have a hard time getting any one of these people in here to agree or disagree that I was wrongly done and accused to start with in this manner,” Lee said. “As you’ve heard numerous times throughout this, this is a 24-year-old deal. How long do you be crucified for something?”

Lee, who also served as a firefighter from the early 1990s to early 2000s, said that after serving his probation, his restrictions included that he could not loiter or live within 1,000 feet of a school.

Clayton resident Chris Timmerman said he believed Lee was a good man.

“They’re rochambeauing him ... ,” Timmerman said. “It’s driving us all apart from each other. We should be a community.”