The Fulshear City Council has voted unanimously to terminate Police Chief Kenneth Seymour following an independent administrative investigation that concluded he maintained an undisclosed sexual and financial relationship with a subordinate officer and was dishonest during the inquiry.
The council’s decision concluded Seymour’s 15-year tenure at the helm of the suburban department. The veteran law enforcement leader had been placed on paid administrative leave in late August while an external investigator reviewed the allegations against him.
Rather than allowing the disciplinary matter to be evaluated in a private executive session, Seymour exercised his right to have his employment status addressed in an open public meeting. This move allowed the findings of the third-party report and the arguments mounted by his defense attorney to be presented directly in the public sphere.
According to the findings presented to municipal leaders, the independent review sustained multiple violations against the police chief. These findings included establishing a prolonged romantic and financial entanglement with a subordinate, failing to disclose the conflict of interest to city leadership, and displaying deceptive or untruthful behavior throughout the investigative process.
The administrative probe additionally sustained findings that Seymour violated departmental directives by discussing the active inquiry with other agency personnel despite receiving explicit instructions to refrain from doing so.
The internal inquiry originated on June 9, when municipal administrators received an anonymous correspondence raising concerns regarding promotional decisions involving a police captain that dated back to 2014. As the third-party investigator pursued the complaint, the examination broadened into Seymour’s broader conduct and interactions within the agency.
A significant portion of the investigative findings stemmed from sworn testimony and responses that Seymour had previously submitted during his personal divorce proceedings. In those legal filings, Seymour acknowledged engaging in an extended intimate relationship with the subordinate captain, who has since resigned from the police department.
Investigators also closely scrutinized the financial connections between Seymour and the subordinate officer. Evidence reviewed in the administrative process indicated that the chief provided monetary support to the captain by assisting with residential rent payments and covering the costs of airline travel.
Further reporting confirmed that the expenditures examined during the inquiry included purchases of home appliances such as a refrigerator, personal gifts including flowers, and travel expenses for trips taken to destinations including Galveston and Fredericksburg.
Addressing the council during the session, the independent investigator described the documentary evidence supporting the sustained misconduct findings as overwhelming, emphasizing that the financial and personal ties clearly breached departmental standards.
Seymour’s defense attorney, Larry McDougal Jr., pushed back vigorously against the findings and questioned the procedural validity of the entire process. McDougal maintained that the initial allegations regarding improper promotions were never substantiated and questioned why the scope of the inquiry was permitted to expand so dramatically into other areas of the chief’s personal life.
During the public proceeding, McDougal asked the council to consider what Seymour was genuinely being scrutinized for, arguing that the investigation had drifted far beyond the specific complaint that had triggered the initial administrative action.
Following the vote to dismiss the chief, McDougal stated that Seymour strongly disputed the council's conclusion and confirmed that he and his client would be evaluating all potential legal remedies. Seymour could not be reached directly for comment.
City officials maintained a guarded posture regarding the specific personnel details, citing employment privacy standards while affirming the necessity of their action. In an official statement, the city emphasized that the decision was not reached lightly and was made following careful consideration of the independent review to uphold accountability to local residents.
Elected officials voiced strong sentiments regarding the ethical standards required of municipal leadership. Councilmember Randy Connor noted that maintaining integrity and public trust is an essential duty of civil service, adding that the disciplinary measures against the chief should not diminish the standing or dedication of the department's rank-and-file officers.
Seymour was originally named chief of police on Aug. 26, 2011, guiding the municipal police force through a prolonged era of rapid population expansion in Fort Bend County.
Following Seymour’s dismissal, the city announced that operational oversight of the police department will temporarily fall under the management of the city manager, with day-to-day command handled by existing senior leadership until an interim police chief is officially appointed at an upcoming council meeting.
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