Details Emerge About Retaliation Suit Against Charlotte Fire
Additional details are emerging about the lawsuit filed today against the Charlotte Fire Department by former fire investigator Crystal Eschert.
Eschert filed the 75 page suit claiming that after she raised health, safety, and financial management concerns she was retaliated against by the fire department and terminated in September, 2014. Her termination was ostensibly over a post she made on Facebook stating: “White guy [was] shot by police…. So tired of hearing it’s a racial thing. If you are a thug and worthless to society, it’s not race – You’re just a waste no matter what religion, race, or sex you are.”
According to WSOCTV.com, Eschert’s attorney Meg Maloney released the following statement relative to the suit:
“Crystal Eschert has provided a detailed account of the retaliation against her by the Fire Department. We continue to be very troubled by the City’s failure to acknowledge the retaliation in violation of her First Amendment right to raise concerns about health, safety, and financial mismanagement, and engage in public debate. Rather than do the right thing and address the problems, we believe the City turned its sights on Crystal as the problem. Now we’ll ask a judge and jury to do the right thing.”
Here is a copy of the complaint: Eschert v Charlotte
Living in the county Charlotte resides in for 44 years, being a firefighter for 29 of those years, I know whats going on… I know there is 2 sides to every story, but this one leans in favor of her. IMO, this case will set precedent to this whole “Public Servant” social media First Amendment rights issue. I’m curious as to what your opinion is on the matter Chief Varone. The NC DOL report will be hard to defend against…
Truckie – I don’t know enough about the details to have an opinion. Sometimes a problem employee seeks to raise whistleblowing/1st Amendment issues as a protection against a legitimate disciplinary action… and sometimes employees’ rights are trampled on by city administrators.