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The North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services has agreed to grant accommodations to a deaf firefighter with a learning disability that will allow him to retake the EMT final exam. Austin Freidt, a volunteer firefighter with the Cornatzer-Dulin Volunteer Fire Department, filed suit in 2021 after having failed the exam “multiple times.”

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The US District Court for the Western District of Washington has ruled that a firefighter who sought an accommodation to have a service dog accompany him to work at the firehouse, must himself submit to a psychological exam to confirm his PTSD condition, but his dog need not submit to a service dog evaluation.

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A Florida division chief who was fired in 2022 has filed suit claiming disability discrimination. Walter Ebbert filed suit against the Ocean City Wright Fire Control District. The suit was initially filed in Okaloosa County Circuit Court, and removed by the district to US District Court.

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The US District Court for the Northern District of New York has rejected the discrimination claims of an Albany fire captain who was denied a promotion to battalion chief due to an off-duty incident. Captain Jeremy Clawson claims the City of Albany rescinded a civil service promotion he earned in 2019, because of a disability and his race.

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A jury has awarded the family of a deceased Kansas City medic $100,000 for disability discrimination and retaliation. The medic died in 2018 from an overdose of prescription medication that the family contends was suicide brought on by workplace bullying.

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The dismissal of a Florida battalion chief has been upheld by a US District Court. BC William Valencia claims he was terminated by the Haines City Fire Department in retaliation for having sought workers comp for an injury, and that he was the victim of disability discrimination.

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A US District Court judge has granted judgment to the City of Jacksonville, dismissing a lawsuit filed by thirty African American firefighters who claimed that the city’s requirement that they be clean-shaven was discriminatory. The firefighters filed suit in 2020 alleging the city’s refusal to grant them a continuing accommodation to have closely cropped shadow beards constituted disability and race discrimination.

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An Indiana firefighter who was demoted for disobeying orders related to rumor-spreading about a subordinate’s sexual preferences, has lost his lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation due to his race, disability, age and use of FMLA leave. Brad Collier brought the action against the City of New Albany.

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The US Supreme Court has refused to consider the appeal of a transgendered fire chief from Georgia, leaving in place a ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of the city. Fire Chief Rachel Mosby was fired by the City of Byron shortly after she revealed that despite being born a male she identified as a female.

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A lawsuit filed by a deaf Idaho firefighter who was terminated, is headed to trial after a federal court refused to grant him summary judgment. Matthew Burgoyne was terminated from the Rock Creek Rural Fire Protection District for insubordination in 2019.

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A Los Angeles County Firefighter who was prohibited from returning to active duty and ordered to retire after he suffered two epileptic seizures, has filed suit claiming the county violated California’s disability discrimination laws. Andrew Lithgoe filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

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A Florida fire lieutenant who was demoted for insubordination, and then terminated when he refused to accept the demotion, has lost his federal court lawsuit to get his job back. Lt. Christopher Chandler claims Walton County Fire Rescue violated the FMLA when it demoted him, and violated the FMLA and Florida disability discrimination laws when it terminated him.

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A Philadelphia firefighter who claims he was harassed and bullied by his officer after returning to duty following a heart attack has filed suit claiming disability discrimination and retaliation. Perry Lawrynkiewicz filed suit in US District Court claiming violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and the City of Philadelphia’s Fair Practices Ordinance.

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A Los Angeles County firefighter who was terminated following a positive drug test has filed suit claiming the results were a false positive due to a lawfully prescribed medication he was taking for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Joseph Allen was fired on May 17, 2022 following a random test on April 14, 2022.

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