City of Magnolia secretary speaks out after alleged assault by mayor

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The woman who says she was violently assaulted by the mayor of Magnolia is sharing her story publicly for the first time, describing a traumatic encounter and the aftermath that followed.

Earlier this week, authorities arrested Magnolia Mayor Matthew "Doc" Dantzer, who is accused of choking the city's secretary during a work conference last fall. Now, the alleged victim, City Secretary Christian Gable, and the city's former human resources director are speaking out, saying they hope their voices will empower others to come forward.

SEE ALSO: Magnolia mayor behaved inappropriately leading up to alleged assault of pregnant employee: Lawsuit

Gable said seeing the mayor's mugshot on television this week brought a sense of relief after months of distress.

"When I saw the mugshot, it was the biggest weight off my shoulders," she said. "This process has been so ugly, and there have been so many people supporting him."

According to Gable, the incident happened outside a conference hotel during a Texas Municipal League event in Fort Worth in October 2025. She says Dantzer had offered to walk her back to the conference hotel after a work dinner. Seeing how he was her boss, she reluctantly agreed.

Gable, who was five months pregnant at the time, alleges that Dantzer attempted to pull down her pants during the walk and then choked her near the entrance to the hotel.

"I consider it sexual assault," she said of the incident. "I couldn't tell you how long I was there. It was a split second, but it felt like forever. My body went into fight-or-flight mode, and I used both of my hands to push him off me. I immediately turned and thought -- how did nobody witness that?"

Gable reported the alleged assault to then-HR director Kristy Powell, who remembers that moment.

"She told me the following morning. She was a nervous wreck, I immediately got teary-eyed. It was an awful thing to hear."

Powell says she urged Gable to formally document the incident.

"That's exactly what I was trying to do -- be the whistleblower," Powell said. "I wanted to step forward first and lead the way."

Both women spoke out about the incident for the first time at the office of their attorney, Will Stukenberg. They say they experienced intimidation and harassment after reporting the allegations. However, they want to speak out to send a message to other women who may have concerns about their interactions with Dantzer that it's okay to speak out.

Powell ultimately resigned from her position at Magnolia City Hall. Both women have since filed federal lawsuits.

Gable remains in her role as city secretary but says continuing to work has been difficult. She recently requested to work remotely, citing concerns about being in close proximity to Dantzer. That request was denied, according to emails provided to ABC13.

"Ms. Gable has asked to work remotely because she doesn't want to be down the hall from the person who assaulted her," Stukenberg said. "The city has denied that request without explanation."

Stukenberg says they have documentation that will prove Mayor Dantzer harassed Gable for years prior to the assault allegation.

"For years before this incident, Mayor Dantzer referred to Ms. Gable as 'my Sexetary' instead of my secretary, made comments about women's breasts and other inappropriate comments that people brushed aside for years."

The mayor's attorney issued a statement earlier this week but has not provided additional comment. Magnolia City Hall has also not responded to requests for comment.

As the legal process continues, both Gable and Powell say their decision to speak publicly is about more than their own case.

They hope it encourages others facing similar situations to come forward.