Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

Tag Archives: passed over

Oakland Captain Sues for Discrimination

A veteran captain with the Oakland Fire Department who claims he was passed over for promotion to battalion chief has filed suit alleging discrimination and retaliation based upon his Native American and Hispanic descent. Captain Joseph Torres claims that Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed purposefully bypassed him in favor of caucasian and black candidates.

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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