SAN ANTONIO — A Bexar County sheriff’s deputy who was disciplined after officials say he made an inappropriate comment about the LGBTQ+ community alleged in a recent lawsuit that Sheriff Javier Salazar was punishing him for ulterior reasons.
Deputy Marin Mata, who at one time was an agency spokesman, was suspended for 10 days in 2019 after officials say he posted a profanity-laced remark about the LGBTQ+ community using his personal Facebook.
But Mata, in a lawsuit filed last month, alleges that the comment was appropriate — and that Salazar disciplined him because Mata was publicly supporting Salazar’s political opponent in the primary race for sheriff.
“Nothing in Plaintiff’s response criticized any person or group of people,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants’ disciplinary suspension is an assault upon Plaintiff’s freedom of speech.”
A spokeswoman for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.
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According to the lawsuit, Mata commented on a June 19, 2019, News 4 San Antonio Facebook post while he was off-duty. The television station had asked followers how they would celebrate “Pride Bigger than Texas Day.”
Mata, who has been with the sheriff’s office since April 2007, responded that he would spend the day like any other and that he was grateful to be alive, the lawsuit states.
Mata, a military veteran, served two tours of duty in Iraq and survived several rocket and mortar attacks, the lawsuit states.
“Because of this experience, Plaintiff expressed his gratitude (for) each day he is given life,” the lawsuit states. “Therefore, Pride Bigger than Texas would be no different than any other day.”
Around this time — and throughout the primary election season — Mata and his then common-law wife frequently posted on Facebook that they supported Willie Ng’s campaign for sheriff.
According to the lawsuit, Mata and his wife, Sgt. Sabrina Rivera, regularly provided updates about Ng’s campaign events and speaking engagements.
They also placed campaign bumper stickers supporting Willie Ng on their vehicles that they parked in the sheriff’s office employee parking lot.
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In July, the sheriff’s office launched a formal investigation into Mata and Rivera’s Facebook posts, leading to Mata’s 10-day suspension, the lawsuit states.
It is not clear whether Rivera was ever disciplined.
Mata appealed the suspension to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Civil Service Commission. During the hearing, Mata’s supervisor, Deputy Chief Dennis Casillas, testified that he did not believe that Mata’s post violated any BCSO policy, the lawsuit states.
Casillas testified that he was ordered to issue the suspension by then Assistant Chief Deputy Ronald Bennett, the lawsuit states. Bennett, who oversaw the agency’s law enforcement efforts, later retired after clashing with the sheriff over the department’s shifting focus.
Ng, a Republican, was defeated in the primary election in March 2020.
The lawsuit, filed in Bexar County District Court, names Bexar County, Salazar, Bennett and Chief Deputy James Serrato as defendants.
It seeks an unspecified amount of money to cover Mata’s legal expenses, temporary loss of income and other damages.
eeaton@express-news.net