Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

An assistant chief with the Los Angeles County Fire Department has filed suit claiming he was passed over for promotion due to reverse discrimination. Assistant Chief Frank Forman filed suit today in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

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Two former employees of a volunteer fire company in North Carolina have filed suit alleging they were not paid overtime in accordance with the FLSA, and one claimed he was terminated for complaining about it. Akash Patel and Aaron Garbus filed suit naming the Robinson Volunteer Fire Department and its fire chief as defendants.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 9, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss a sexual harassment concern being raised in the Queensland Fire Department; the settlement of a lawsuit in St. Paul over the non-transport of a man ...

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Sexual harassment allegations have resurfaced in the Queensland Fire Department, where more than a decade ago the same issues led to the appointment of a female police officer to serve as Fire Commissioner.

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The City of St. Paul has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a man who suffered a stroke in 2022, but was not transported to the hospital because the hospitals were reportedly full. The man, Ahmed Ali, was in his 80s and suffered permanent injuries as a result of him not being transported immediately.

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Three Georgia taxpayers have filed a class action lawsuit challenging the way that Walker County is funding its fire and emergency services. Michael Biddle, Jessica Allison, and Waylon Allison filed suit claiming that the public safety fee they pay on property they own in Walker County is an illegally imposed tax.

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A Lexington, Kentucky fire lieutenant has been suspended for 120 hours for making a series of comments about one of his female subordinates. Lt. Terrance Gatewood is accused of having made the comments about her appearance between February and March of 2023.

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A Louisiana fire captain who was terminated last year, has filed suit claiming he is being retaliated against for contacting elected officials in his capacity as a union representative, in violation of his 1st Amendment rights. Jonathan Gramm filed suit naming the DeSoto Parish Fire District 9 and Fire Chief Kristopher King as defendants.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 2, 2024 Curt discusses a ruling by the Tennessee Court of Appeals that sends the social media-related termination of a Memphis firefighter back to civil service for reconsideration of its termination ...

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A Memphis firefighter who was terminated for an inappropriate social media post in 2017, will have a chance to have his case reviewed again by the Memphis Civil Service Commission, following a ruling by the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Taurick Boyd, a 19-year veteran of the Memphis Fire Department, claimed he was punished more harshly than similarly situated personnel.

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A New York fire department has filed suit against a former fire chief and his wife alleging they improperly used department funds for personal purposes. The Marbletown Volunteer Fire Department filed suit against former fire Chief William Storrs and former treasurer Nicole Storrs.

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The City of Honolulu is facing a lawsuit by the family of a 91-year-old man who burned to death in an ambulance during transport. Fred Kaneshiro died in the August 24, 2022 explosion and fire that investigators concluded was related to a faulty oxygen regulator.

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The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a mayor who retaliates against a fire chief for refusing to make false statements to the public about a matter of public concern, is not entitled to qualified immunity. As a result, a mayor could be liable to the chief for violating his First Amendment rights.

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An Alameda County firefighter is facing disciplinary charges following the posting of a TikTok video showing him making racist remarks. The video was taken by the driver of a vehicle with whom the off-duty firefighter was having a traffic dispute following a crash.

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