Texas Mayor Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Pregnant Secretary

Former Magnolia, Texas Mayor Matthew 'Doc' Dantzer has pleaded guilty to assaulting Christian Gable, a city secretary who was five months pregnant at the time of the October 2025 incident.

Dantzer, 52, attacked Gable at a work conference in Fort Worth, grabbing her by the throat and pinning her against a wall while attempting to pull down her pants. The incident occurred as the two were returning from dinner, with Dantzer allegedly making inappropriate sexualized comments toward Gable. According to a lawsuit filed by Gable, Dantzer commented on her pants appearing "loose" and stated they would be "easy to pull down" after "they get past the bump."

When Gable yelled and attempted to play off the encounter as a joke, Dantzer allegedly grabbed her by the throat as they approached their hotel, telling her, "You need to tell him to do it like this," while pinning her against a column. Gable managed to push him away and retreated to her room.

On October 2, Dantzer pleaded guilty to assaulting a pregnant person. He received two years of deferred adjudication probation, a $4,000 fine, and was ordered to perform community service. He must also have no contact with Gable and attend a domestic violence class. Dantzer will avoid a formal conviction if he successfully completes his probation.

Gable and two other city employees have filed lawsuits against both Dantzer and the City of Magnolia, alleging harassment and retaliation. Gable claims Dantzer retaliated after she reported the assault by increasing his frequency of visits to her office, hovering over her, and denying a request to work from home. The lawsuit also alleges a history of sexual harassment, with Gable stating Dantzer would introduce her to guests as "the City Sexetary" or "my Sexetary."

Bryan Emery, Gable's fiancé, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, stating, "He got off pretty easy, that's how I feel about it." He added, "I would love for all of them, the city council, Magnolia, all of them to apologize publicly to her. What she has had to go through is not okay."

Dantzer's term as mayor concluded in May. His attorney argued in a motion that Gable had not established that Dantzer violated any laws or constitutional rights in his official capacity, seeking dismissal of claims against the city. The lawsuit is ongoing.