FDNY commish slapped with discrimination lawsuit on declare she sought to ‘destroy’ careers

New York Metropolis Fireplace Commissioner Laura Kavanagh was hit with an age discrimination lawsuit that alleges she focused older prime staffers with demotions, retaliation and compelled retirements.

A number of high-level FDNY staffers of their late 50s and early 60s sued Kavanagh, the town’s first feminine hearth commissioner, for unspecified damages, again pay and the return of job titles beneath the state’s human rights legal guidelines, in accordance with a 53-page lawsuit filed within the Brooklyn state Supreme Court docket first revealed by the New York Put up.

The lawsuit claimed workers members have been compelled to work in a hostile and retaliatory work surroundings. 

Kavanagh, in accordance with the lawsuit, “sought not simply to finish, however actually to destroy, their lengthy and distinguished careers” and tried to “change Plaintiffs and different senior workers with youthful personnel.”

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“The victims have been focused as a result of they have been at or close to the age of 60,” the lawsuit states.

The go well with was filed by 61-year-old ex-FDNY Assistant Chief of Fireplace Prevention Joe Jardin, 62-year-old assistant Chief of Operations Michael Gala and 59-year-old Chief of Uniformed Personnel Michael Massucci.

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The criticism follows a 36-page lawsuit filed in February, accusing Kavanagh of performing like a “political operative” by demoting and reassigning workers chiefs on the expense of public security.

The submitting cites a Feb. 6 New York Every day Information article quoting nameless sources claiming that Schaaf “resisted transferring and disciplining some firefighters” when “allegations of racism” have been made in a Queens firehouse, Jardin was the topic of “a sequence of complaints with the town’s Workplace of Equal Employment Alternative” for his “tough-guy administration fashion,” and Gala was thought of a “divisive aspect within the division.”

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The lawsuit states that earlier than becoming a member of the FDNY in 2014, Kavanagh labored as a “political operative” on campaigns and by no means spent a “day as a firefighter.”

“Respondent Kavanagh has no expertise preventing fires and labored solely on the civilian aspect of the FDNY earlier than ascending to Commissioner.”

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Kavanagh was appointed commissioner of the FDNY by Mayor Eric Adams in October 2022. 

Earlier than the lawsuit was filed, Kavanagh defended herself from criticism over demoting a number of the division’s prime brass in an interview with Spectrum Information.

“I feel typically folks neglect I’m new as a result of I used to be on the division for nearly a decade, however I’m just some months into my tenure, and I wish to have my very own group,” the commissioner stated.

“Each commissioner has modified their group over, so it has been some time. Commissioner [Daniel] Nigro was there for nearly eight years, so I feel perhaps that is why it appears new, nevertheless it’s actually not.”

“We’ll evaluate the case as soon as served,” a metropolis legislation division spokesperson instructed Fox Information Digital. Mayor Adams didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Fox Information’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report
 

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