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

The Mobile firefighter who was fired last year over a tattoo, has filed suit against the city alleging race, gender, sexual orientation and religion discrimination; hostile work environment; retaliation; and violation of the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Kay’Ana Adams filed suit today in US District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.

Read More »

A truly unfortunate episode in the New Haven Fire Department has finally come to a close, at least as far as the trial court proceedings are concerned. A superior court judge has granted summary judgment to the city, the fire chief and several others in a lawsuit filed by an Assistant Chief.

Read More »

A Rhode Island superior court judge has ruled that a local fire district can charge a plan review fee, and in doing so it is not bound by a local municipality’s valuation method for determining the amount of that fee. The suit was brought by UTGR, Inc., the company that operates Twin Rivers Casino in the town of Lincoln.

Read More »

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the City of Stockton fired former Fire Chief Ronald Hittle in 2011 for legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons, and that the chief was unable to show these reasons were pretextual excuses to justify religious discrimination.

Read More »

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for August 7, 2023, Brad and Curt discuss a case involving a FDNY EMT who was caught stealing from a patient in an undercover sting operation; a Lansing firefighter’s third lawsuit against the ...

Read More »

An FDNY EMT has been charged with stealing $600 from an undercover investigator who was posing as a patient. Luis Carrillo Jr., 43, is facing both felony and misdemeanor charges related to the sting operation that took place last Wednesday.

Read More »

A Lansing firefighter who was terminated for posting the police chief’s personal cellphone number on Facebook in 2021, has filed suit claiming race discrimination, violation of his free speech rights, violation of equal protection, and violation of Michigan's anti-discrimination law. Michael Lynn filed suit yesterday in US District Court.

Read More »

The Cobb County Fire Department has completed an investigation into a cheating scandal that has led to the discipline of seven firefighters. The firefighters were taking a state-administered certification exam to allow them to serve as apparatus operations instructors.

Read More »

The US District Court for the District of Nebraska has refused to grant summary judgment to the City of Lincoln concluding that firefighter/EMT Amber Benson raised sufficient questions of fact to get her sexual harassment and retaliation claims to a jury.

Read More »

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that EMS personnel who mistakenly pronounced a disabled woman dead, cannot be held liable for her subsequent death under a civil rights theory, despite the fact their error delayed life-saving treatment. The case involves the death of 20-year-old Timesha Beauchamp in Southfield, Michigan.

Read More »

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 31, 2023, Brad and Curt discuss a case involving the theft of $850k from a volunteer fire company in NY; a lawsuit filed by a firefighter against a captain, a firefighter ...

Read More »

An audit report released last week by the New York State Comptroller’s Office confirmed that the treasurer of the Hannibal Fire Company stole at least $850,000 from the company. The treasurer, George Parry Jr., committed suicide last year as investigators were accessing the fire company’s financial records that were stored at his home.

Read More »

A California firefighter who was physically assaulted by a fire captain and a firefighter has filed suit against both of them and his fire department. Michael Botill filed suit against the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County, Captain Dan Jordan and firefighter Forrest Gleitsman alleging assault, battery, harassment, negligent hiring, negligent retention, and whistleblower retaliation.

Read More »

A federal court has dismissed a Kentucky fire department and two chief officers from a lawsuit brought by a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by an off-duty firefighter. The suit was brought by Emmalee Young, and accused former City of Paris firefighter William Michael Fields Jr. of providing her with alcohol, sexually assaulting her, and creating child pornography by recording it.

Read More »