A Young County justice of the peace is under investigation after a late-night fight with a teenage boy outside a Whataburger in North Texas, according to news reports.
The fight happened about 1 a.m. Sunday at a Whataburger in Graham, about 90 miles west of Fort Worth, according to KFDX/KJTL.
Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Jason Hearne and a group of teens began arguing inside the restaurant after the teens had posed for photos with social media influencer Danny Duncan, a YouTuber with more than 8 million subscribers, who was at the restaurant with a film crew.
The witness said Hearne made a homophobic remark to one of the teens about taking a photo with another man.
“He started talking about, if it’s cool to take pictures with another dude, basically calling us gay and stuff,” one of the teens told KFDX/KJTL.
When their argument spilled into the parking lot, that’s when witnesses said Hearne threw the first punch and their brawl began.
Videos of the fight have reportedly circulated online, including one video showing Hearne walking toward one of the teens. The teen can be seen with his fists raised saying “come on big boy,” and “I don’t care who you are” using foul language.
Terri Rhodes, a district judge coordinator, told KFDX/KJTL on behalf of District Judge Phillip Gregory that Gregory was aware of the circumstances and believed the matter was under active investigation.
Young County’s website lists Hearne as the Precinct 1 justice of the peace.