Fire Law Blog

Just in case you missed Senator Hawley’s questioning of apparatus manufacturers:

A captain with the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, has filed suit alleging racial and gender discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The complaint, filed September 18, 2025 in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, names the City of Toledo, three chiefs, one captain, four lieutenants, and a firefighter as defendants.

Cleveland Fire Chief Anthony P. Luke has been placed on paid administrative leave following a social media post about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. The action was announced this week by city officials after the post drew widespread attention.

A federal magistrate judge has recommended dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a longtime Graham, North Carolina firefighter who claimed he was wrongfully terminated due to age discrimination, retaliation, and other alleged violations.

The New York State Division of Human Rights has dismissed a complaint filed by former Patterson Fire Department #1 member who alleged that the department and several of its officers subjected her to unlawful discrimination and retaliation.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 15, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a wave of disciplinary investigations into social media postings by firefighters about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025; a ruling in a disability discrimination case out of New Hampshire allowing a case to proceed …

In the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, several fire departments have opened investigations or placed employees on leave over their social media posts. At the moment, we have identified five cases that have made it into the headlines, but no doubt there are others.

A federal judge has denied the Town of Durham’s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by a former firefighter who claims he was terminated in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and New Hampshire law.

A lawsuit has been filed against the Los Angeles County FD and the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation alleging that a dependent child suffered repeated sexual assaults while housed at Holton Conservation Camp in Sylmar, California. The suit was filed in the fictitious name of John Doe in LA County Superior Court.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama has ruled that the City of Jasper did not violate the Fair Labor Standards Act or retaliate against firefighters who filed suit in 2023. The suit alleged firefighters had not been properly paid overtime, were retaliated against when they complained, and that the city breached their contracts relating to compensation and leave policies.

The Georgia Court of Appeals has ruled that part-time firefighters who regularly worked at least 40 hours per week, were not improperly denied full-time employee benefits by the City of Rosewell. The suit dates back to 2017, when two longtime members of the Roswell Fire Department, David Bible and Brian Rogers, filed the class action …

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 8, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss the settlement of a New Hampshire lawsuit brought by a former firefighter alleging homophobic sexual harassment; a Wisconsin lawsuit alleging FMLA violations and retaliation; the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a former Topeka fire captain who claimed he was …

The City of Concord has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former firefighter, who alleged he was subjected to years of homophobic sexual harassment by co-workers and retaliation when he complained.

A former deputy EMS chief with the Cambridge Community Fire/EMS District has filed suit in federal court alleging he was unlawfully terminated from his position. Deputy Chief Jason Caira filed suit against the Cambridge Community Fire/EMS District, the Cambridge Community Fire and EMS Commission, and the commission president.

A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former Topeka fire captain who alleged race and disability discrimination after he was not promoted to Division Chief in 2022. Brently Dorsey, who joined the Topeka Fire Department claimed Topeka discriminated against him on the basis of race and disability, constructively discharged him, and failed to accommodate his medical condition.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld a lower court ruling in favor of Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue in a lawsuit filed in 2022 by eight firefighters who challenged the department’s denial of their requests for religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that the Town of Cedar Bluff is immune from liability for the alleged acts or omissions of its volunteer firefighters under Alabama’s Volunteer Service Act. The decision stems from a 2017 vehicle accident that claimed the life of Susan Bonner.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 1, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a decision by the Ohio Court of Appeals to reinstated a defamation claim filed by a former fire chief; a federal court decision concluding that the City of Cincinnati violated the due process rights of former Fire Chief Michael Washington …

The Ohio Court of Appeals has reinstated a defamation claim filed by the former fire chief of Port Clinton while upholding the dismissal of his remaining claims for wrongful termination. Kent Johnson, who had served with the Port Clinton FD since 1992 and as fire chief since 2008, was placed on administrative leave in June 2023 following allegations of sexual harassment.

The City of La Crosse, Wisconsin has filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against several major fire apparatus manufacturers, alleging they conspired to suppress competition, restrict supply, and drive up the cost of fire trucks. The case was filed on August 20, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.