For the second week in a row, the volume of Fire Law headlines outpaces the time and space we have to cover them all. Each case is important — and fascinating — in its own right. But with limited time, we have to be selective. Let’s start in Charleston, South Carolina, where the city has settled a lawsuit filed by a firefighter who alleges permanent hearing loss following a 2022 hazing incident. Here is earlier coverage of the suit, and below is news coverage of the $80,000 settlement.
In Houston, twelve recruits have been dismissed from the fire academy for making “racist and hateful” posts on Instagram.
In New Jersey, a volunteer fire company that lost its IRS status as a non-profit organization has finally regained it following a six-year ordeal. The Flemington Fire Department, whose active service dates back to 1842, got their IRS problem headache straightened out with the help of their Congressman, Tom Kean. More on the story.
In Jacksonville, Florida, a district chief is under investigation for allegedly coercing a Muslim firefighter to break his Ramadan-related fast.
And finally in Cincinnati, the wrongful termination and defamation suit by former Fire Chief Michael Washington is back in the headlines, as it heads to trial (or might it be a settlement). Here is more on that story. Also here is a Talk Show discussion of the case with a former Vice-Mayor. I could not get it to embed.
