A Texas game warden with more than two decades of service was terminated on October 21, 2025 after an internal investigation found he repeatedly used a racial slur in text messages sent on a state-issued device. According to a termination memorandum issued by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Phillip Wood violated agency conduct policies by “texting the racial slur ‘nigger’ multiple times” on a TPWD-issued cell phone.  The document states the conduct fell under prohibited behavior involving offensive or demeaning language and actions that could create a hostile work environment. It further concluded that the conduct failed to meet standards requiring employees to act in a courteous, respectful, ethical, and trustworthy manner.

Prior Award Recognition and Field Record

Before his termination, Wood had been recognized at the state level for his work in boating enforcement and emergency response operations. In 2018, he was named the NASBLA Texas Boating Officer of the Year by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. At the time, the department cited his extensive patrol experience across Lake Sam Rayburn, one of the largest reservoirs in Texas, along with his work along the Neches and Angelina river systems. His experience in those areas was described as critical to locating lost or distressed boaters with limited information.

The award also referenced a 2016 incident in which Wood responded to a call from an injured game warden who had been ejected from a boat on the Neches River. Upon arrival, he located the officer in the water and assisted in bringing him to safety before additional responders arrived. Department accounts also credited Wood with participating in response efforts tied to multiple major hurricanes, including Katrina, Rita, Ike, and Harvey. Those operations involved rescues and emergency response across the Texas coast and neighboring regions.

Texas Peace Officer Employment Records

Wood’s peace officer career in Texas spans more than three decades, beginning in November 1993 with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, where he served through multiple appointments until November 1996. During that period, he was appointed by Stephen F. Austin State University from 1996 to 1999. In early 1999, he briefly returned to the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office before transitioning later that year to the Nacogdoches County Constable’s Office, Precinct 1, where he served from August 1999 through December 2003. He joined the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on January 1, 2004, as a commissioned game warden and remained in that role for more than 21 years until his termination in October 2025.

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