Fire Law Blog

A New Jersey volunteer fire department, its fire chief and two other officers are facing sexual harassment allegations in a lawsuit filed by a female volunteer. Priya Gupta filed suit against the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department and three of its officers.

The family of a woman killed in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash last January, has filed suit against Los Angeles County accusing deputy sheriffs and firefighters of taking photos of victims’ remains and disseminating those images to others unrelated to any investigation.

A Little Rock firefighter who was terminated last December after just six months on the job, has filed suit claiming disability discrimination associated with his autism. Austin Williams filed suit against the city of Little Rock claiming a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The victim of two sexual assaults that occurred on fire department property while she was a minor, has filed suit against the firefighter, the fire department and several individuals that she claims are responsible.

An African American fire captain with the Albany Fire Department whose promotion to battalion chief was rescinded after he suffered an off-duty medical emergency, has filed suit alleging race discrimination and disability discrimination.

Thirty Jacksonville, Florida firefighters have filed suit claiming the department’s policy that SCBA qualified firefighters be clean-shaven discriminates against them on the basis of their race and disability. All thirty are African American firefighters who suffer from Pseudofolliculitis Barbae.

A North Carolina division chief who retired earlier this year, has filed suit alleging she had been sexually harassed and discriminated against. Division Chief Joy Ponder filed suit in US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina against the City of Ashville.

A San Antonio firefighter has been suspended for 90 days over a social media post last August that stated “F…. the police”. Christopher Johnson was suspended in October, but the matter was brought to public light today by KSAT Channel 12.

There are many parts of the law that impact firefighters. A decision handed down last Friday by the US Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida shows that even bankruptcy law has a role to play. The story begins with a Jacksonville firefighter, Terrance Holmes, who filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy in 2014.

A Los Angeles County Fire Captain who was transferred from his position as a PIO in the aftermath of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash because he would not turn over his personal cellphone, has filed suit claiming his rights under the California Firefighter Procedural Bill of Rights were violated. Captain Tony Imbrenda filed suit yesterday in LA County Superior.

Five California municipalities along with three government agencies have filed suit against the beleaguered utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), seeking to recoup damages and the costs associated with fighting the Kincade fire in October, 2019.

The St. Charles Health System has filed suit against the La Pine Fire District contending that an ordinance assigning financial responsibility for inter-facility EMS transports to the hospital is unconstitutional. St. Charles operates a hospital in Bend, as well as several medical facilities in Deschutes County.

A lawsuit challenging the validity of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue’s social media policy, together with the discipline imposed on two captains, has been dismissed for the second time. Captain AJ O’Laughlin and Captain Crystal Little filed suit in state court last year claiming their social media-related discipline should be overturned, and that the social media policy violated the First Amendment.

A female firefighter in Dubuque, Iowa has filed suit accusing the department of sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation. Jami Boss filed suit in Dubuque County District Court claiming violations of the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

A Texas firefighter has been charged with murder following the death of another member of his department at a campground in Pueblo County, Colorado. Evan Gaw, a firefighter/EMT with Odessa Fire Rescue, has been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting death of Michael Mack Wednesday evening.

A former Texas firefighter who was sentenced to ten years in prison for arson, has been charged with burglarizing his former firehouse months after his release on parole. Kyle Harmon was arrested yesterday after he was observed on security video entering the Cameron Gardens firehouse on two occasions and taking fuel.

A Massachusetts firefighter is seeking $2.75 million in damages for sexual discrimination that led to her being passed over for promotion. Tracy Blanchette filed suit last week naming the City of Methuen and Fire Chief John T. Sheehy as defendants.

An FDNY EMT has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit accusing a female deputy chief of going on a campaign to damage her career. Margot Loth filed suit on Saturday in US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suit claims that Deputy Chief Donna Tiberi engaged in repeated acts of discrimination against Loth.

A Georgia firefighter is facing multiple charges related to a hidden recording device found in a women’s bathroom in a Columbus fire station. Chester Leon Whitley, 29, is currently facing eight criminal charges brought by the Columbus Police Department. The charges include ...

A lawsuit brought by four Stamford, Connecticut firefighters challenging changes to the city’s promotional process, will proceed over the objection of the city. Lieutenants Kevin Dingle and Bruce Wagoner, along with firefighters Robert Pickering and Brian Whitbread filed suit last year naming the city of Stamford and several city administrators as defendants.