AUSTIN — An Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority worker who allegedly exposed himself to a female tenant has been fired.

Marv Repinski, chairman of the HRA board, said Ronald Heimer, of Adams, was let go after the board held a closed meeting in early December. Heimer is accused of watching a pornographic movie in a tenant’s bedroom and exposing himself to her as he walked out of the room zipping up his pants. He faces criminal charges in Mower County District Court.

Repinski said he made the choice to publicly announce that Heimer had been fired.

“I did not care to have him be released from his employment, but we were getting calls from the public after the newspaper articles,” Repinski said. “It’s kind of a gray zone of how to protect your residents.”

Repinski said the HRA continues its record of accountable performance the public can trust.

Letting Heimer go “was really to protect ourselves from scuttlebutt and people being fearful that our management was not appropriate or that they would also be subject to such an invasion of privacy,” Repinski said.

Heimer recently pleaded not guilty to the charges he is facing in Mower County District Court. He was charged with felony bribery, misconduct of a public employee, fourth-degree burglary and indecent exposure.