Two Texas Department of Public Safety officers assigned to protect the State Capitol have been taken off the job.
One has been arrested on a drunk driving charge and resigned. The other is currently suspended because of a sexual harassment accusation.
According to DPS spokesperson Tela Mange, an officer is accused of sexually harassing someone on the Capitol grounds. The alleged incident happened last Friday. The trooper was not on duty at the time. Mange will not say if the complainant is a co-worker, Capitol employee or visitor.
She released this statement to KVUE:
"DPS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. Once we became aware of allegations of sexual harassment, the employee in question was relieved of duty and suspended with pay. An internal investigation is underway."
Another DPS employee stationed at the Capitol, Officer Jose Munoz, 50, is also no longer on the job.
An Austin police officer arrested him February 9 on accusations of drinking and driving. He was stopped on Research Boulevard near Great Hills Trail in Northwest Austin.
According to the court affidavit, officers found an open whisky bottle and at least six beers in his car. Mange says Munoz was not on duty and was not driving his patrol car at the time.
He was suspended immediately, but decided to retire. Munoz worked for department for 29 years.
