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SC Firefighter Paramedic Fired Over Facebook Video
Colleton County, South Carolina paramedic and firefighter Jason Brown was fired earlier this month because of a video he posted on Facebook. Brown’s situation is similar to an increasing number of...
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Fireground Photos, Facebook, and Discipline
I received a great question today, and wanted to add it to the online discussion: Have there been any cases or instances of firefighters receiving reprimands or disciplinary action for posting fire...
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Firefighter’s Video of Police Shooting Pitbull Creates Backlash – Against...
We live in a complicated time, where things that happen locally can instantly become sensationalized on a national or even international level. This reality is a function of digital imagery, the...
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Tennessee Facebook Rant Raises Same Old Questions
A Facebook rant by a Murfreesboro, Tennessee firefighter about a “homeless” woman has again raised the difficult question about First Amendment boundaries. “So the sign says homeless, but she lives...
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Arbitrator Overturns Demotion in Miami Dade Facebook Rant Case
Miami Dade’s Brian Beckmann is once again a captain, courtesy of a long awaited arbitrators ruling handed down today. Just about a year ago, the case made news when Captain Beckmann posted some...
View ArticleSecond Suit Filed Over Maryland Facebook Firing
A second federal court lawsuit has been filed over the firing of two members of Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue for their social media comments on gun control. Mark Grutzmacher, a...
View ArticleFacebook Poll Prompts Sexual Harassment Investigation in Queensland
Firefighters in Queensland, Australia are under investigation for creating a Facebook “poll” to rate which of their female colleagues would be best in bed. According to The Courier-Mail, several female...
View ArticleHouston Firefighter’s Post Sparks Complaints
A Houston firefighter has been placed on administrative duties as the department investigates offensive anti-Islamic posts on his personal Facebook page. The unidentified firefighter allegedly made the...
View ArticleFired Tulsa Firefighter Sues For $3 Million
A Tulsa firefighter who was terminated earlier this year for ignoring an order to report for an internal affairs interview, is now suing the fire department for wrongful termination. Greg Chapman was...
View ArticleBoston Firefighter Suspended Over Social Media Posts
A veteran Boston firefighter has been suspended over a social media post that depicted a man carrying a decapitated head. Octavius Rowe, a 15 year veteran member of the Boston Fire Department, was...
View ArticleNevada Firefighter Union Sued By Mayoral Candidate
A Nevada man who ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of the town of Fernley has filed suit against a firefighters’ union that he claims defamed him during the campaign. Ryan Hanan filed suit last...
View ArticleBoston Firefighter Challenges Civil Service Ruling on Termination
A Boston firefighter who was fired last year over incendiary social media posts has filed suit to challenge a state civil service ruling that upheld his termination. Octavius Rowe was fired by the...
View ArticleSocial Media in a Volunteer Department
Today’s Burning Question: Our volunteer fire department has our own Facebook page and the fire-police have a page they created on their own. Please correct me if I am wrong, but doesn’t the Facebook...
View ArticleFire Law Roundup – February 14, 2022
In this episode, Brad and Curt discuss the third lawsuit arising out of the Kansas City (MO) triple fatal apparatus accident; the suspension of a Pennsylvania volunteer fire company over racist...
View ArticleWisconsin IAFF Local President Fired Over Social Media Post
The president of a Wisconsin International Association of Firefighters local was terminated last week over a social media post that criticized understaffing over the Memorial Day weekend. Spencer Nett,...
View ArticleFire Law Roundup for August 15, 2022
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for August 15, 2022, Brad and Curt discuss an amended lawsuit claiming 91 Gadsden, Alabama firefighters were retaliated against for filing an FLSA suit; a suit by a...
View ArticleFire Law Roundup for August 22, 2022
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for August 22, 2022, Brad and Curt discuss the termination of a Miami firefighter for offensive social media comments he made in a group chat relative to the murder...
View ArticleFire Law Roundup for October 24, 2022
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 24, 2022, Brad and Curt discuss a lawsuit challenging the termination of a union president from Massachusetts for wearing his dress uniform to a...
View ArticleTermination of Boston Firefighter For Offensive Posts Upheld
The ongoing saga of Boston firefighter Octavius Rowe suffered another setback as the Massachusetts Court of Appeals upheld his 2018 termination for making a series of racist and homophobic social media...
View ArticleRI Local Again Forced to Sue Town For Relief From Anti-Union Discipline
A Rhode Island IAFF union president who is facing termination for threatening his fire chief with a vote of no confidence, has filed suit claiming his termination constitutes retaliation for his union...
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