Tag Archives: defamation

Appellate Court Rejects Suit By Falsely Accused LAFD Medic

The CA Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a LAFD firefighter who claims he was defamed and discriminated against after he was falsely accused of sexually assaulting a patient. Louis Cerda claimed that the department’s handling of a female patient’s accusations damaged his reputation and subjected him to adverse employment action.

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Rochester Settles Firefighter’s Racism Suit

The sensational lawsuit by Rochester firefighter Jerrod Jones has been settled for $150,000, or $521,000, depending on your perspective. Jones claimed he was the victim of race discrimination that culminated in a white captain ordering him to attend a racist party in 2022 while on-duty.

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Neighborhood Fire Contract Wars

Every once in a while, a would-be litigant takes a “shot over the bow” of a neighbor mutual aid fire department when the continued service of the fire company is on the line. A trend across the nation appears to involve municipal consideration of other fire companies to serve the territory traditionally served by the complaining fire company.

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Fire Law Roundup for August 14, 2023

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for August 14, 2023, Brad and Curt discuss a Rhode Island superior court decision upholding the right of fire districts to charge for plan review; the grant of summary judgment to the defendants ...

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Airport Firefighters Seek Injunction to Prevent Retaliation Over IAFF Censure

Nine members of IAFF Local 3217, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Professional Firefighters, have filed suit against the Authority and three chief officers seeking an injunction to prevent retaliation against them for trying to bring to light safety related staffing concerns. The nine firefighters are the elected officers and executive board of the local.

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Florida Court Rules Fire Chief Has Absolute Immunity From Liability For Defamation

The Florida Court of Appeals has ruled that when publicly reporting on matters within the scope of his/her assigned duties, a fire chief has absolute immunity from liability for defamation. That ruling came in the high-profile Miami Fire Department case from 2017 that involved firefighters defacing family photos of a colleague and placing a noose-like string on one of the photos.

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Fire Law Roundup for August 1, 2022

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for August 1, 2022, Brad and Curt discuss a gender discrimination suit by two chief officers in the Tulsa Fire Department; a ruling by the Texas Court of Appeals holding that backpay for ...

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Fired South Carolina Fire Chief Sues Mayor for Defamation

A former South Carolina fire chief who was terminated in 2020 has filed a defamation suit against the mayor who fired him. Mark Redd was the fire chief in Wagener. He was terminated by Mayor Michael Miller after serving the town as a volunteer firefighter for over 40 years, the last 23 of which as fire chief.

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Medics and FD Sued Over Photos of Shooting Victim

The sister of a man who was shot and killed during Black Lives Matter protests in Cicero, Illinois last summer, has filed suit against two Cicero Fire Department paramedics and a retired lieutenant for taking and sharing photos of his body. Adriana Cazares filed suit today naming Frank R. Rand, Justin Zheng, Gene Lazcano and the Town of Cicero as defendants.

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Suit By Retired Alabama Chief Dismissed

A former District Chief with the Montgomery Fire Department who agreed to retire in 2010 as part of the settlement of a gender discrimination suit, has lost a second suit she filed in 2018 claiming that the fire chief made derogatory comments about her. District Chief Jennifer Jennings Bennett first sued the city in 2008.

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Alabama Chiefs Accuse Local Officials of Conspiracy

Two Alabama chief officers have filed suit against eight current and former local officials alleging they engaged in a conspiracy to fire the chiefs. Northport Fire Chief Bart Marshall and Battalion Chief Richard Brown filed suit this week naming Councilman Robby Davis, Mayor Donna Aaron, former councilman Jody Jobson, ...

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Arizona Firefighter Sues Fire District Over Termination

A former Arizona firefighter who was terminated in 2019 after the department eliminated its wildland program, is suing the fire district for wrongful termination, retaliation, and an assortment of wage and hour claims. Jason Craven filed suit in Navajo County Superior Court naming the Clay Springs-Pinedale Fire District Board.

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