Los Angeles Fire Chief Sues City Alleging Retaliation After Palisades Fire

Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has filed suit against the City of Los Angeles, alleging she was removed from her position in retaliation for speaking publicly about budget cuts and their impact on public and firefighter safety. 

Chief Crowley, a 26-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), served as Fire Chief from March 27, 2022, until February 21, 2025.  The complaint names the City of Los Angeles as the defendant and alleges retaliation in violation of the California Labor Code and the California Constitution. 

According to the complaint, Chief Crowley repeatedly warned city leaders about what she described as a worsening resource and staffing crisis within LAFD.  She submitted budget requests and reports outlining aging infrastructure, increased call volume, and shrinking staffing levels. 

In April 2024, Mayor Karen Bass proposed reducing LAFD’s operating budget by approximately $23 million and eliminating 71 positions.  The City Council ultimately approved a reduction of $17.6 million and eliminated 61 positions.  Chief Crowley’s July 8, 2024 General Manager Review referenced “an unprecedented $17.5 M decrease in our operating budget for FY 24/25,” noting the department would need to “be more calculated in deploying our core services.” 

In December 2024, Chief Crowley submitted a report describing the operational impacts of budget reductions, stating:

• The Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) is facing unprecedented operational challenges due to the elimination of critical civilian positions and a $7 million reduction in Overtime Variable Staffing Hours (V-Hours).
• These budgetary reductions have adversely affected the Department’s ability to maintain core operations…

The complaint alleges that in early January 2025, the National Weather Service issued advisories regarding anticipated dangerous wind conditions.  On January 7, 2025, the Palisades Fire erupted.  Quoting from the complaint:

• In early January 2025, when the National Weather Service warned of severe wind and fire weather conditions in Los Angeles, Bass chose to leave the country and did not tell Chief Crowley that she was doing so.
• Meanwhile, the LAFD pre-deployed augmented resources in strategic positions following established protocols developed with subject matter experts and approved by the LAFD’s Deputy Department Commander, the person at the LAFD tasked with deployment decisions.
• The LAFD’s deployment decisions followed its established protocols and policies but were limited by an ongoing resource crisis facing the LAFD.
• Chief Crowley had previously repeatedly warned Mayor Bass about this resource crisis and sought her help, only to be ignored and for Bass to reduce the LAFD’s budget.
• When the Palisades Fire erupted, Bass — then out of the country — initially praised the department’s preparedness, even issuing a press release highlighting its deployment strategy.
• But as criticism mounted over her absence and over her decision to cut the operating budget for LAFD despite evidence that LAFD needed more and not fewer resources, Bass reversed course.
• She sought to avoid accountability by shifting blame and lying – including falsely claiming that she was not aware of the nationally anticipated weather event, falsely claiming that that the LAFD’s budget was not cut, and falsely claiming that LAFD’s resources would have supported an additional 1,000 firefighters to fight the blaze — claims contradicted by public records and Bass’ own prior statements.
• These false statements were not mistakes but part of a deliberate strategy to divert scrutiny from Bass’ decisions and to avoid accountability.

The complaint states that LAFD followed established pre-deployment procedures and pre-positioned 24 fire engines, command teams, brush patrols, water tenders, and additional personnel in anticipation of the wind event. 

At 10:55 a.m. on January 7, 2025, the Mayor’s office issued a press release stating that departments had mobilized in advance of the anticipated windstorm and outlining LAFD’s pre-deployment measures. 

In the days following the fire, reporters questioned the Mayor about budget reductions.  On January 10, 2025, Chief Crowley participated in a televised interview in which she stated that “any budget cut is going to impact our ability to provide service” and that “the Fire Department needs to be funded appropriately.” 

According to the complaint, Chief Crowley was called to the Mayor’s office later that same day and confronted about her statements.  The complaint alleges that shortly thereafter, the Mayor began efforts to replace her. 

On February 21, 2025, Mayor Bass informed Chief Crowley she was being removed as Fire Chief, effective immediately.  The removal letter cited as one example “the decision to send 1,000 firefighters home instead of keeping them on duty on the morning that the fires broke out.”  At a press conference that day, the Mayor cited additional reasons, including allegations that Chief Crowley refused to conduct an after-action report and that 1,000 firefighters could have been deployed but were not.  The complaint disputes those assertions and alleges they were false and pretextual. 

Chief Crowley did not retire following her removal and continued employment with LAFD at a lower rank.  The complaint alleges she was demoted three ranks to Assistant Chief and reassigned multiple times. Quoting from the complaint:

• Despite facing pressure from Mayor Bass to go along with the lies, Crowley nevertheless chose the truth.
• After Crowley reported to Bass, to City stakeholders, and to the public that the budget cuts had weakened the department’s readiness and jeopardized public and firefighter safety, and after Crowley confirmed that she had previously raised these public and firefighter safety issues many times with Mayor Bass and City Council, Bass and her administration retaliated.
• Within weeks, Bass removed Crowley as Fire Chief based on pretextual and false accusations.
• Upon information and belief, Bass’ and her administration’s true concern was that Crowley did disclose and would continue to disclose the truth about the events leading up to the Palisades Fire and the resulting threats to public and firefighter safety and firefighters’ legal rights, and would unveil any cover-up that Bass had already attempted and in which Bass would continue to attempt to engage.
• To Bass’ disappointment, after Bass removed Crowley from her position as Fire Chief, Crowley did not retire and instead chose to continue to serve the City of Los Angeles, albeit in the lower position at the LAFD to which she was ultimately relegated due to Bass’ retaliation.
• Since then, Bass and the City have continued to engage in an ongoing retaliation campaign against Crowley, intentionally interfering with Crowley’s ability to serve the LAFD and the City to her maximum abilities.

The lawsuit seeks damages for alleged retaliation based on her disclosures regarding budget cuts, operational impacts, and her stated intention to cooperate with outside investigations into the Palisades Fire. Chief Crowley asserts two legal theories, both framed as retaliation claims:

1. Retaliation in violation of the California Labor Code
2. Retaliation in violation of the California Constitution

Here is a copy of the complaint: