(The Center Square) — Ousted Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley filed a legal claim on Wednesday against the city and Mayor Karen Bass, claiming Bass orchestrated “a campaign of misinformation, defamation and retaliation” to shift blame from the mayor over to Crowley after the damaging fires in January.
Crowley’s claim said Bass “launched a smear campaign built on falsehoods” to fire back at Crowley for telling city leadership and the public that the mayor’s budget cuts and the years of neglect from the city have caused the LAFD to be underfunded, understaffed and ill-equipped to handle the demands of Los Angeles, especially when there are dangerous wildfires.
Crowley’s claim seeks unspecified damages above $25,000 for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, and reputational damages, according to Rolling Stone.
Bass fired Crowley from her position in February, following Crowley’s criticism of the mayor in the media. Crowley was repositioned and currently works as the assistant chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Operations Valley Bureau.
Bass said Crowley was fired from the chief position for having 1,000 firefighters off duty the morning the Palisades Fire started and for not completing an after-action fire report.
Crowley disputed both those claims to the Los Angeles City Council in March during her appeal for reinstatement as fire chief. The council rejected Crowley’s appeal in a 13-2 vote.
Bass, who was in Ghana for an ambassadorial trip when the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted on Jan. 7 in Los Angeles, also accused Crowley of failing to communicate the true risk of the catastrophe to the mayor before she went overseas.
“Integrity, truthfulness, and serving others before self have guided me throughout my career,” Crowley said, according to Hollywood TV station KTLA 5. “As the fire chief, for nearly three years, I advocated for the proper funding, staffing and infrastructure upgrades to better support and protect our firefighters, and by extension, our communities.”
Crowley’s legal team also said the claims made against her set out a pattern of dishonesty, scapegoating and unlawful retaliation.
Crowley is demanding Bass “reject her false statements” about her, issue an apology and end any further retaliation.
After Crowley’s removal, Los Angeles Deputy Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva was promoted Jan. 11 to interim fire chief, a position he still holds while the city conducts a nationwide search for a permanent chief.
