15 hours 32 minutes ago
The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has granted the appeal of an applicant for the Brockton Fire Department, concluding that the city did not have proper grounds to bypass her last year. Yasmine Estrella was ranked fourth on the Brockton Fire Department’s hiring list established in 2021.
Curt Varone
1 day 16 hours ago
The US Department of Labor has announced changes to the executive, administrative and professional employees exemption, and more specifically - increases to the minimum salary that must be paid to white collar employees to qualify under these exemptions. These changes have been expected, although the specific minimum salary and dates of implementation were subject to some speculation.
Curt Varone
2 days ago
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 23, 2024, Curt reviews a $4.45 million settlement in an EMS restraint-related death in Sacramento; a race discrimination suit in New Jersey; the settlement of an overtime dispute between battalion chiefs and the city of Wilmington; a trademark suit involving FDNY; and a suit against an ...
Curt Varone
2 days 15 hours ago
A New Hampshire firefighter who resigned last December after enduring what he claims was years of sexually harassing comments and retaliation is now suing his former employer. Christopher R. Golomb filed suit against the City of Concord last month in Merrimack County Superior Court.
Curt Varone
3 days 18 hours ago
The City of Sacramento has agreed to settle a wrongful death suit with the family of a man who died while being restrained during an EMS response, for $4.45 million. Reginald “Reggie” Payne, 48, suffered a cardic arrest while being restrained by police, who responded at the request of firefighters.
Curt Varone
6 days 15 hours ago
A New Jersey firefighter is suing his department, the fire chief and a firefighter alleging violations of the state’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act due to race discrimination and retaliation. Michael Warren filed suit against the Hamilton Township, Fire Chief Christopher Tozzi and Ray Krajcsovics.
Curt Varone
1 week ago
The City of Wilmington has agreed to settle an FLSA overtime suit brought last year by six current and former battalion chiefs for $459,695.36. The chiefs claim they were improperly classified as exempt executives.
Curt Varone
1 week 1 day ago
The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals has handed down a ruling in favor of FDNY concluding that a trademark owned by an FDNY paramedic in the name of "Medical Special Operations Conference" cannot be enforce because it is descriptive.
Curt Varone
1 week 2 days ago
The family of a St. Louis firefighter who died in 2022, has reportedly filed suit against the manufacturer of his SCBA alleging that the failure of his PASS device contributed to his death. Benjamin Polson died in a house fire on January 13, 2022.
Curt Varone
1 week 2 days ago
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 15, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss a pink collar theft case out of North Carolina; a $1.5 billion PFAS-related lawsuit filed in Virginia by firefighters with cancer; a due process ruling holding that a board member who testifies against an accused firefighter cannot thereafter return to ...
Curt Varone
1 week 3 days ago
Six Virginia firefighters and the estate of a deceased firefighter have filed suit against 25 companies associated with per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) seeking $1.5 Billion in damages. The named lead plaintiff in the action is Sara P. Chiaverotti, wife of Virginia Beach Fire Captain Matthew Chiaverotti who died from anaplastic thyroid cancer last year.
Curt Varone
1 week 6 days ago
A Rochester firefighter who claims to have been the victim of domestic violence and sexual harassment at work, has filed suit against the City of Rochester. The firefighter, identified as Jane Doe, claims that the city failed to protect her from domestic violence as required by state law and city policy, and that she was sexually harassed by coworkers at work.
Curt Varone
2 weeks ago
A Kentucky court has concluded that a fire district board member who served as an adverse witness against an accused firefighter in a disciplinary proceeding, violated the firefighter’s due process by participating in deliberations and the adjudication decision.
Curt Varone
2 weeks 1 day ago
An administrative assistant has been charged with stealing over $200,000 from a North Carolina volunteer fire department. Amanda Christine Lamb, 46, has been charged with embezzlement from the Lower Currituck County Volunteer Fire Department.
Curt Varone
2 weeks 2 days ago
An Oregon division chief who retired last year has filed a $5 million suit claiming he was discriminated against and constructively terminated due to his having Parkinson’s disease. Michael Carlsen was a division chief for the Clackamas Fire District #1.
Curt Varone
2 weeks 2 days ago
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 8, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss criminal charges brought against a Kansas City MO firefighter who urinated of a colleague’s personal property; a fire chief in Alaska seeking overtime compensation; a Bridgeport CT firefighter charged with taking drugs from a suspected overdose scene; an appellate ruling ...
Curt Varone
2 weeks 3 days ago
A firefighter in Kansas City, Missouri is facing felony charges for reportedly urinating on a female colleague’s personal property in a KC firehouse. KC police have charged Pleaze Robinson III with first-degree harassment and first-degree property damage over the incident that occurred on September 10, 2023.
Curt Varone
2 weeks 6 days ago
The fire chief of Salcha Fire & Rescue, Inc., has filed suit in US District Court for the District of Alaska seeking compensation for overtime worked since 2021. Chief Darrell VandeWeg claims that his duties as fire chief do not qualify him for any of the white-collar exemptions that normally would apply to fire chiefs.
Curt Varone
3 weeks ago
A Bridgeport, Connecticut firefighter is facing charges that he took drugs from the scene of a suspected drug overdose last month. Harold Clarke Jr. has been charged with tampering with evidence and interfering with a police officer.
Curt Varone
3 weeks 1 day ago
The Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court has upheld a decision to remove a firefighter from a promotional list based on his poor disciplinary record. John Shaw sought to challenge his removal from the promotional list for lieutenant in the Belleville Fire Department, claiming it was politically based due to his record as a Democrat conflicting with the Republican-leaning administration.
Curt Varone
Checked
1 hour 7 minutes ago
Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
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