Report: Ohio Police Officer Fired After Wearing Unauthorized Hat
What to Know
- A Mason police officer claims he was fired after wearing a department-issued hat that was not authorized with his standard uniform while directing traffic.
- Brandon Saylor reportedly chose not to wear the department's summer uniform because it would not have covered his tattoos, creating a conflict with departmental uniform requirements.
- A law enforcement adviser criticized the termination as unreasonable, while the city and police department declined to comment; the dispute is expected to be resolved through arbitration.
MASON, OH—A police officer reportedly was fired because he wore a department-issued hat that wasn’t authorized with the standard uniform while directing traffic.
Dan Hils, president of Front Line Advisors, a law enforcement advisory team based in Cincinnati, believes former Mason officer Brandon Saylor, 26, was singled out for termination, according to WXIX Channel 19.
“None of this was appropriate. None of this was reasonable. This was outlandish. We are somewhere in coo-cooville,” Hils said.
WLWT Channel 5 reports the department’s policy is that hats can only be worn with the department’s summer uniforms. Saylor reportedly did not wear the summer uniform while directing traffic because of the department’s tattoo policy. The summer uniform would not have covered his tattoos.
“They’re saying that he’s being dishonest and he’s been insubordinate. I don’t believe either one of those things,” Hils said, according to WLWT.
WXIX reports Saylor, who worked for the department for two years, has a clean record.
The city declined to comment on the firing, according to WXIX. WLWT reports the police department did not respond to requests for comment.
The issue reportedly will go to arbitration.
____________
©2026 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit cleveland.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.