Victim in firehouse hazing incident reaches settlement with Marion County

A man who was beaten and waterboarded while filling in at Marion County Fire Rescue’s "Friendship Station" in December 2025 just reached a plea deal with the county. Kayne Stuart was working at Marion County Fire' Station 21 last December when four firefighters took part in beating him with his own belt, dragged him across the parking lot and waterboarded him three times with a towel, as described by the Marion County Sheriff's office.After Stuart spoke up, three of the firefighters involved faced criminal prosecution and pleaded guilty to battery. Ten people in total were fired.Now that a plea agreement in a civil case has been reached, details with the county are mostly confidential. FOX 35 has learned that the worker’s comp portion settled for $100,000.Stuart’s attorney, Jeff Bichler, the Managing Partner at Bichler Law, said Stuart was happy with the agreement."I think that they did the right thing and recognizing their own sense of responsibility for this and to help my client mov