Former Orlando Deputy Chief Sues City Alleging Retaliation and Wrongful Termination

A former deputy chief who was fired by the City of Orlando less than a year after he was hired, has filed suit claiming he was retaliated against for opposing discriminatory practices.

Deputy Chief Manuel Navarro filed suit July 16, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. His suit seeks damages under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Chief Navarro is a well-known veteran fire officer with more than 50 years of experience, including having served with the Oakland (CA) Fire Department, Colorado Springs (CO) Fire Department, and Menlo Park (CA) Fire Department. According to the complaint, he was recruited in late 2022 by then–Orlando Fire Chief Charlie Salazar to serve in a senior leadership role.

Quoting from the complaint:

• In October 2022, Charlie Salazar, Fire Chief of the OFD, reached out to Navarro to discuss a role within the OFD.
• Specifically, Chief Salazar wanted Navarro to serve in a senior leadership role within the OFD so that he could mentor OFD officers, assist with the management of OFD personnel, and help improve the day-to-day operations of OFD.
• Chief Salazar and Navarro eventually discussed and agreed that Navarro would serve as Executive Deputy Chief of the OFD.
• On November 4, 2022, Defendant made an offer of employment to Navarro to serve as a Deputy Fire Chief within the OFD for a 2-year period.
• Defendant’s offer was contingent upon Navarro executing an employment contract with OFD.
• On December 5, 2022, Navarro and Defendant entered into an employment contract for the Deputy Fire Chief position. The terms of the Navarro Contract specified a 2-year period of employment (January 3, 2023 through January 2, 2025), annual salary of $162,523.20, and additional benefits for Navarro.
• The Navarro Contract also specified that Navarro’s job duties could only be changed “by the mutual consent of the City and [Navarro].”
• On January 3, 2023, Navarro began his employment with OFD.
• Defendant provided the OFD Executive Team with policymaking authority concerning the day-to-day operations of the OFD. In addition,
• Defendant authorized and permitted the OFD Executive Team to make decisions which impacted the terms and conditions of employment for OFD employees.
• In January 2023, Navarro was told that he was no longer going to serve as the Executive Deputy Fire Chief for the OFD. Instead, Navarro was designated as the Deputy Chief of Administrative Services for the OFD. This change in title and accompanying responsibilities was unilaterally made by Defendant through the OFD Executive Team.
• As Deputy Chief of Administrative Services, Navarro was assigned the responsibility of managing and overseeing the following divisions within the OFD: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Facilities; Information Technology; and Professional Development.
• Within the first few months of his tenure as Deputy Chief of Administrative Services, Navarro quickly identified numerous issues within the OFD which he pointed out to Chief Salazar and other members of the OFD Executive Team.
• After identifying these issues to Chief Salazar and other members of the OFD Executive Team, the OFD Executive Team began to exclude Navarro from attending OFD Executive Meetings.
• The OFD Executive Team also attempted to undermine Navarro’s authority within the OFD by purposefully limiting the information Navarro would receive, directing Navarro’s subordinates to complete tasks he was responsible for, and disparaging Navarro within OFD’s leadership ranks.
• Despite these obstacles, Navarro performed all the essential duties of his job, and he performed them well.

The core of Chief Navarro’s retaliation claim centers on his defense of District Chief Alissa Baussan, who had requested disability accommodations. The complaint alleges that after learning of comments disparaging Chief Baussan during an executive team trip, Chief Navarro reviewed her records and found she had made valid, approved accommodation requests. When he voiced concerns that subsequent actions against her—including reassignment, loss of duties, and a formal audit of her attendance—constituted retaliation, Chief Navarro claims he was ordered to relay to Chief Baussan that the City’s actions were not retaliatory. Days later, he was placed on leave and ultimately terminated on November 25, 2023.

Chief Navarro alleges the City acted in “willful and reckless disregard” of his rights under Title VII for opposing retaliation against a subordinate asserting ADA protections. He seeks back pay, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees.

A City of Orlando spokesperson told local media the City disputes Chief Navarro’s claims and will “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit. The City has not yet filed its formal response. Here is a copy of the complaint: