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

Tag Archives: attending religious event on duty

Ninth Circuit Upholds Firing of Stockton Fire Chief in 2011

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.

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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