Fire Law Blog

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the termination of a Chicago firefighter whose public Facebook posts contained racist and offensive comments directed at Black and Asian Americans. The court concluded that the Chicago Fire Department’s interest in maintaining public trust outweighed the firefighter’s First Amendment rights.

A Texas mother has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that multiple public officials and private entities mishandled the investigation into the death of her 21-year-old son, failed to preserve evidence, improperly identified his remains, and cremated his body without providing an opportunity for independent identification.

A federal magistrate judge has recommended that summary judgment be granted in favor of Douglas County, Georgia, in a lawsuit filed by former Fire Chief/EMS Director Roderick B. Jolivette, who alleged that the county discriminated against him because of his race and retaliated against him after he complained of discrimination and filed an EEOC charge.

The City of East Chicago has agreed to pay $1.2 million to resolve a federal lawsuit brought by members of East Chicago Professional Firefighters Local 365 alleging they were subjected to retaliation for engaging in protected First Amendment activity.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 13, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss new allegations being brought against a Muncie fire captain who recently prevailed on allegations of helping students cheat on exams; a lawsuit filed by a Colorado firefighter claiming he was terminated after repeatedly raising concerns about firefighter training, public safety, …

The City of Muncie has initiated a new effort to terminate Captain Troy Dulaney, filing a second amended complaint of misconduct with the Muncie Fire Merit Commission that seeks his dismissal from the Muncie Fire Department.

A Colorado firefighter has filed suit against the Platteville-Gilcrest Fire Protection District, its fire chief, the Town of Platteville, and the Town of Gilcrest, alleging that he was terminated after repeatedly raising concerns about firefighter training, public safety, nepotism, discrimination, and payroll practices

The family of a man who drowned while paddleboarding at Lake Castaic has petitioned the LA County Superior Court for permission to pursue a wrongful death claim against the County of Los Angeles, the LA County Fire Department, the LA County Parks and Recreation Department, and the State of California after learning nine months later that a lifeguard allegedly should have been on duty at the location where the incident occurred.

An independent investigation commissioned by the City of Sacramento concluded that two Sacramento Fire Department captains improperly used their positions as firefighters in connection with the purchase, renovation and resale of the home of an elderly woman they first encountered while responding to a 911 medical call.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has affirmed the dismissal of federal constitutional claims brought against a Colorado Springs Fire Department paramedic and a Colorado Springs police officer arising from the 2022 death of a man experiencing a mental health crisis.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 6, 2026, Paul Doughty and Curt discuss a lawsuit filed by two former Clark County NV probationary firefighters alleging race discrimination; the dismissal of a suit brought by a firefighter against a police officer for wrongfully arresting him over a photo taken at an incident scene; …

Two former probationary firefighters have filed suit in federal court against the Clark County Fire Department and the fire chief alleging they were subjected to race discrimination, a racially hostile work environment, and retaliation that culminated in their forced resignations just before the completion of their probationary periods.

A federal judge has ruled that a Connecticut police lieutenant who arrested a volunteer firefighter serving as his department’s Public Information Officer is entitled to qualified immunity in a lawsuit arising from the firefighter’s 2021 arrest for posting photographs from a motor vehicle accident scene on Facebook.

A Tennessee man has filed an emergency petition asking a Tennessee court to order the Nashville Fire Department, Nashville Police Department, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and a Nashville restaurant to preserve evidence from an incident in which he alleges emergency personnel ignored his repeated refusals of ambulance transport and subsequent medical treatment.

Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has filed a defamation lawsuit against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, alleging that the Mayor repeatedly made false statements blaming Chief Crowley for decisions surrounding the January 2025 Palisades Fire in an effort to deflect criticism of her own leadership and budget decisions.

A paramedic formerly employed by the Gary Fire Department has filed suit in federal court alleging that the department failed to stop months of sexual harassment, retaliated against her after she complained, and ultimately terminated her employment.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for June 29, 2026, Curt discusses the sentence handed down to a former Illinois emergency medical technician in connection with the 2022 positional asphyxia death of a patient; an FLSA suit brought by firefighters in Gilbert AZ who were assigned to ambulances disputing that the §207(k) partial exemption …

A former Illinois emergency medical technician who pled guilty in connection with the 2022 death of a patient has been sentenced to time served plus two years of probation. The patient, 35-year-old Earl Moore Jr., was restrained and transported face-down. He died of positional asphyxia.

A federal district court in Arizona has dismissed an overtime lawsuit brought by ten current and former members of the Gilbert Fire Department, concluding that the firefighters failed to adequately plead an overtime claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In doing so, the court stopped short of ruling on whether the firefighters qualify for the §207(k).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has affirmed summary judgment in favor of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore in a lawsuit filed by Baltimore City Fire Department Lieutenant Mitchell Waters alleging race discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation.