One day after Plant City Police Chief Steven Singletary was fired from his job, details have emerged about the investigation and what lead to the discovery of his affair with a married school teacher.

It started with Jason Hardwick, a married Plant City father. He told investigators he heard rumors that his wife, Melissa, a school teacher at Springhead Elementary School, was having an affair. He wasn’t sure if it was true. So he equipped his wife’s car with a GPS monitor.

The weekend of January 12, Hardwick told investigators in a taped interview, Melissa told him she was going to help a friend move on the west coast of Florida. Hardwick says he saw his wife driving instead to Orlando.

He found her at a Bahama Breeze restaurant, sitting in a booth with Singletary. He took two pictures to prove what he saw.

“I think I might have said in the moment, you know something like, 'You two are a joke, have a nice life,' or something, and I walked out,” Hardwick said.



Singletary was at a police conference in Orlando, paid for by taxpayers. Investigators say the two had sex in a hotel room, also paid for by taxpayers.

Hardwick said he was planning on keeping the information quiet. He gave Singletary an ultimatum.

"He said, 'You want me to resign,' and I said, 'No, I don't want you to resign,'" Hardwick said. "I said, 'I want you to resign and I want you to leave this town.'"

But Singletary argued it had nothing to do with his job.

That’s when Hardwick took the information to Assistant City Manager Bill McDaniel, and the investigation began.

In another taped interview, Singletary told investigators the affair had nothing to do with his job.

“As a person I’m embarrassed of the actions that occurred in my personal life," Singletary said. "I certainly understand it doesn’t reflect in a good way on my professional life, but I kept it separate.

"In my mind, I did a great job here at the police department."

But Singletary’s wife Courtney clearly thought what her husband did could cost him his job. In documents released by the city, Courtney Singletary texts his husband’s mistress, telling Hardwick to keep quiet, and not cooperate with the city’s investigation against Singletary.

Courtney Singletary texted, “This has nothing to do with his job.” Another text read, “Don’t do the interview or statement.” She then told Hardwick not to “participate in a witch hunt.”

The Hardwick and Singletary families became close after Steven Singletary met Melissa Hardwick at the local gym. The families vacationed together and went to sporting events until the affair was revealed.

Hardwick also admitted she took time off work to have secret meetings with Singletary. The Hillsborough County School District is now looking into whether she used that time appropriately.

A spokesperson said she has been an excellent teacher for the district.

Singletary has 30 days to appeal his firing.