ORLANDO, Fla. — A former Orlando senior fire official says he spoke up when he witnessed, what he claims, was retaliation from management to a fellow employee. He claims he was fired a short time later for doing just that.
Manuel Navarro had been a firefighter for more than 50 years, and at the age of 76, he took a job at the Orlando Fire Department as Deputy Chief of Administrative Services.
He signed a two-year contract. The lawsuit says he oversaw facilities and diversity, equity and inclusion.
He spent less than a year with OFD, but in this lawsuit, he documents concerns he spoke up about that he says the Chief and Management didn’t like.
“I think he was terminated because he saw people being mistreated and he stood up for them,” said firefighter union president Doug Zabin.
Zabin is now vocalizing support for this lawsuit, saying former Deputy Chief Navarro was fired for doing what’s right.
In this 12-page complaint filed in the last week, Navarro claims he raised questions on how District Chief Alissa Baussan was being treated.
9 Investigates reported in March, Baussan filed her own lawsuit against the City, alleging workplace discrimination and retaliation.
Both lawsuits claim new department policy changes had a negative impact on disability accommodations for Baussan.
She asked for changes. Instead, Navarro said the executive team began “denying Baussan the same training benefits as other District Chiefs” and “transferring Baussan to a position that would interfere with her existing, disability-related accommodations.”
“He took a stand for her on her behalf because of his knowledge, and because of this experience, he knew deeply what was right,” Zabin said about Navarro.
Within a few months on the job, Navarro claims in the lawsuit, he reported issues to Chief Salazar and upper management, including “dangerous working conditions” within the fire department which included “mold issues, rodent infestations and lack of air conditioning.”
But Navarro says after, the Chief and others “excluded him from executive meetings” and “limited info” he could receive.
The city released a statement, saying “Mr. Manuel Navarro was hired by the City of Orlando Fire Department on a short-term contract. When his services were no longer needed, the contract was ended according to its terms. Due to pending litigation, we are not in a position to provide comment on the referenced lawsuit at this time.”
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