Axelrod & Associates Obtains $300K Settlement for Fire Captain

How It All Started

Beginning back in November of 2005, problems began to arise for a certain Meriden Fire Captain with his place of employment, the Meriden Fire Department. The Fire Captain claimed that the Assistant Chief had become absolutely irate over the fact that the he had switched shifts with a fire lieutenant from another station without permission. What happened in actuality was that the Fire Captain believed the swap was approved, and did not discover that it was denied due to a lack of communication from another captain.

In response to this situation, the Assistant Chief called the Fire Captain to reprimand him quite forcefully, even threatening to bring him down, calling their relationship a "war." After requesting a meeting with all the parties involved, the Fire Captain was still blamed for every aspect of the incident. This prompted him to head to the city's HR department, where he was told he had no choice essentially but to accept the situation. Upon hearing this, the Fire Captain hired our firm's very own Connecticut employment discrimination attorney, Eugene Axelrod.

The Beginning of the Legal Case

As soon as the Fire Captain had hired Attorney Axelrod, a letter was written to the firefighters' union, as well as the HR representative explaining what had occurred. Eventually the Assistant Chief found out and began spreading rumors about the Fire Captain, saying that he was actually untrustworthy and making up falsities. In response to this, the Fire Captain immediately began to feel ostracized from his fellow firefighters. In fact, the Fire Captain even noticed that some of his equipment had been tampered with on one occasion, which could have potentially been life threatening to him.

In the lawsuit filed against both Assistant Chiefs, the Fire Captain noted that he had been the alleged victim of the following offenses:

• Defamation
• Breach of implied contract
• Negligent supervision
• Malicious destruction of property
• Invasion of privacy
• Violation of the wiretapping laws in Connecticut
• Negligence from the fire department itself

He had to begin attending counseling sessions with a psychiatrist just to cope with the bullying he experienced and he used up every sick day he had to get out of working.

Going to Mediation

The Fire Captain's case eventually went before mediation with a retired federal judge where he recommended a settlement be reached. After Attorney Axelrod's aggressive and relentless representation of the Fire Captain's case, the City Council agree to pay $300,000 in restitution, plus the value of the 72 sick days he had not used. These 72 days equaled $32,641.91 in monetary value. Axelrod was fairly confident that the defense would not be able to take this case to trial, as it could end up putting the city in trouble financially.

The Aftermath

After the case was over, the Fire Captain was too scarred from the treatment he received from his co-firefighters and ended up retiring instead of going back to work. While nothing can repair the emotional damage the Fire Captain has experienced, Attorney Axelrod was able to procure a favorable settlement on behalf of the Fire Captain through exemplary legal advocacy. It is his commitment to justice and compassionate attitude towards his clients' circumstances that truly sets him apart in the field of employment discrimination.

Have you been a victim of employment discrimination in Connecticut?

Do not hesitate to get the legal help that you deserve if you have found yourself in a similar situation. Call Axelrod & Associates LLC today to discover why experience matters when fighting for your rights against any type of employer. Whether you work for a small office or a corporate giant, you deserve to be treated with respect.

With over 50 years of combined experience, be sure to contact our office at (203) 285-8294 to find the representation you both need and deserve. Fill out our confidential case evaluation form here.