Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A lawsuit filed by former Michigan fire chief has been dismissed by the US District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Fire Chief David J. Obreiter was terminated in 2022 by Kalamazoo Township.
The termination followed questions over the chief’s handling of sexual harassment allegations brought by a female firefighter, and allegations of a toxic workplace. A battalion chief was also fired for the same reasons. Chief Obreiter filed a wrongful termination suit in 2023 alleging a violation of his due process rights.
The suit named the township and Township Manager Dexter A. Mitchell. The complaint alleged that the township manager pre-judged what he thought occurred, failed to fully investigate what actually occurred, and ignored evidence that showed the chief was properly handling the sexual harassment allegations based upon what was known at the time.
Earlier this year, the township filed a motion for summary judgment. The court file indicates that a hearing was held on April 1, 2025, and Judge Robert J. Jonker granted summary judgment to the township. An order granting judgment to the township was entered on April 2, 2025. However, a formal opinion explaining the reasons for the decision does not appear in the record. The local news, WWMT Channel 3, is reporting that the chief has lost the case, and provides some additional information.
