LA County Firefighter Alleges County Failed to Stop Harassment

A Los Angeles County firefighter has filed suit alleging the county’s failure to address the ongoing harassment by another firefighter violated state anti-discrimination laws. Guilherme Guimaraes filed suit in LA County Superior Court alleging three counts of violating the CA Fair Employment & Housing Act.

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Fire Law Roundup for November 4, 2024

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for November 4, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss a decision by the Ohio Supreme Court who refused to order the removal of a fire chief; the severing of a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed ...

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NJ Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal of Hostile Work Claim

The New Jersey Court of Appeals has ruled that an Asian-American firefighter who was clearly harassed on one-occasion by a ranking officer, was not subjected to a hostile work environment and thus does not have a right to recover from the fire department. Firefighter Timothy Burkhard filed suit against the City of Plainfield.

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Ohio Supreme Court Refuses Request to Remove Fire Chief

The Ohio Supreme Court has refused to order the removal of a fire chief whose appointment was challenged by an assistant chief who served as the interim fire chief. Assistant Chief Patrick Johnson contended that when he was sworn in as interim Fire Chief for the City of Brook Park on September 7, 2022, his appointment became permanent.

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Ohio Pregnancy Discrimination Suit Against Two Fire Departments Severed

A firefighter who sued two different Ohio townships alleging gender and pregnancy discrimination, will now have to proceed separately against each township following a court’s decision to sever the cases. Kara Cruikshank filed suit against Berne Township and Pleasant Township over her treatment following her pregnancy in 2022.

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Fire Law Roundup for October 28, 2024

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 28, 2024, Curt and Bill Maccarone discuss a lawsuit filed by a Tennessee chief over his termination; a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a Kansas firefighter; an appellate decision ruling that ...

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Tennessee Chief Alleges Termination was Retaliation

A Tennessee fire chief who was terminated earlier this year, has filed suit alleging he was retaliated against for reporting a former employee who self-deployed to a reported school shooting with an AR-15. Former Columbia Fire Chief Ty Cobb filed suit naming the city of Columbia and City Manager Tony Massey as defendants.

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Kansas Firefighter Alleges Sexual Harassment

A Kansas firefighter who was terminated in 2021 for “sewing seeds of distrust and discord” has filed suit against her former employer alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation. Jessica Shrewsbury filed suit against Shawnee Heights Fire district and the Shawnee County Board of Commissioners.

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Court Holds FDNY Not Liable in EMS Dispatch and Transport Case

The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court has ruled as a matter of law, that FDNY cannot be held liable for their initial decision to dispatch a basic life support ambulance as opposed to paramedics to an incident scene, or the later decision of EMTs to await the arrival of paramedics rather than transport a patient immediately to the hospital.

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Disabled FDNY Firefighter Sues Over Vaccine Mandate

An FDNY firefighter who suffered a severe allergic reaction to the COVID vaccine resulting in a career-ending heart condition, and who was denied an accidental disability pension, has filed suit in federal court alleging that the city violated his Fourteenth Amendment due process rights.

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NY Union President Disciplined For Refusing to Participate in Training He Deemed Too Dangerous

The president of IAFF Local 86, Troy Uniformed Firefighters Association, is challenging a 15-day suspension without pay for refusing to participate in a training exercise he considered to be dangerous. Eric Wisher was cited for insubordination because he refused to participate in a mask confidence training exercise that was being conducted by the NY State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

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