Former Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley has accused Mayor Karen Bass of retaliation.
Crowley filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court last week claiming Bass and the city retaliated against her in response to the Palisades Fire.
The big picture: Crowley claims Los Angeles violated its Labor Code and the California Constitution.
- She is seeking more than $25,000 in emotional damages and wants a jury trial.
Driving the news: Bass removed Crowley one year ago following the devastating Palisades Fire.
- Bass said at the time that Crowley refused to conduct an after-action report in a timely manner and claimed that the former chief sent crews home on the day the fire started.
- Crowley claimed that Bass orchestrated “a campaign of retaliation to conceal the extent to which Bass undermined public safety and transparency.”
Zoom in: In the lawsuit, Crowley denied Bass’ claims and said she warned the city for years that Los Angeles was at risk.
- “Each year as Fire Chief, she submitted numerous detailed reports and budget requests to the Board of Fire Commissioners, the City Council, and to Bass, showing how aging infrastructure, surging emergency calls, and shrinking staff left the city and firefighters at risk of harm,” the lawsuit reads.
- The lawsuit detailed tension between Crowley and Bass, which came to a head in January of last year when Crowley discussed the $17.6 million budget cut to the media.
- According to the lawsuit, Bass told Crowley, “I don’t know why you had to do that. Normally, we are on the same page, and I don’t know why you had to say stuff to the media.”
- Crowley claims that Bass removed her as Fire Chief for publicly discussing the budget cuts.
- “To Bass’ disappointment, after Bass removed Crowley from her position as Fire Chief, Crowley did not retire and instead chose to continue to serve the City of Los Angeles, albeit in the lower position at the LAFD to which she was ultimately relegated due to Bass’ retaliation,” the lawsuit reads. “Since then, Bass and the City have continued to engage in an ongoing retaliation campaign against Crowley, intentionally interfering with Crowley’s ability to serve the LAFD and the City to her maximum abilities.”
- Crowley has since been demoted several times since she was removed as Fire Chief and is currently the Assistant Chief to a Special Duty position at the Risk, Health and Safety Division.
What they’re saying: “Public servants should not face punishment or be silenced for telling the truth about public or firefighter safety and on matters of public importance,” Crowley’s attorney said in a statement.
- Bass’ office said the lawsuit is meritless.
- “There is nothing new here,” Bass’ office said. “Ms. Crowley was removed from her post for her failure to predeploy and her decision to send 1,000 firefighters home instead of keeping them on duty on the morning the fires broke out. This lawsuit has no merit.”
