Ousted Fire Chief in L.A. Claims Mayor Bass Retaliated Against Her in Legal Filing

U.S.|Ousted Fire Chief in L.A. Demands Formal Apology in Legal Filing

Kristin Crowley, the former chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, filed a legal claim against the city and Mayor Karen Bass on Wednesday, accusing city leaders of destroying her decades-long career after she spoke out about missteps relating to the catastrophic wildfires in January.

Ms. Bass abruptly removed Ms. Crowley from her post in February, blaming the chief for failing to properly warn the mayor about the scope of the threat before the fires broke out, an assertion Ms. Crowley has disputed.

Ms. Crowley filed a tort claim, which is often a precursor to a lawsuit, for emotional distress and lost wages of more than $25,000. She is also demanding that city leaders retract “false and defamatory statements,” formally apologize to her and stop all ongoing retaliation.

“Integrity, truthfulness, and serving others before self have guided me throughout my career,” Ms. Crowley said in a statement. “Doing the right thing even when it is hard is always the right decision and that is why I am continuing to fight for the resources our firefighters need to keep us all safe.”

In a statement, David Michaelson, counsel to the mayor, said that Ms. Bass would not comment on personnel matters and that she was busy focusing on “preparations for the hottest temperatures of the year and the potential for regional fire danger.”

The day before Ms. Crowley filed her claim, the mayor made an appearance alongside leaders of the Fire Department to detail how it was positioning itself to respond quickly in the event of fires during the expected heat wave in Southern California this week.