By Steven Goode
The Hartford Courant
HARTFORD, Conn. — Hartford Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Nolan has filed a lawsuit against Hartford Fire Chief Carlos Huertas and Mayor Pedro Segarra, alleging a sustained violation of his freedom of speech and press rights under the first and fourteenth amendments to the Constitution.
Nolan, filed the suit Monday in Superior Court in Hartford. It also names interim Assistant Chief Scott Brady and Fire Marshal Roger Martin, the city and the fire department.
Nolan said Monday that he filed the suit because there is a culture of bullying in the department’s leadership that has left many firefighters afraid to speak up when they see wrongdoing.
“They’ve been bullying people in the department for some time, he said. “But I’m not going to be intimidated.”
The suit alleges that between October 20, 2014 and April 16, 2015 the defendants punished Nolan more than a half dozen times for expressing concerns on a number of issues related to the fire department, including the line of duty death of firefighter Kevin Bell and a board of inquiry’s investigation into the department’s response to the fire that claimed his life.
The suit also alleges that the defendants ordered Nolan not to speak to the media about his concerns and that when he did, he was punished and placed on paid administrative leave for 14 weeks pending an investigation into his appearance at a fire department task force meeting.
Following Nolan’s appearance before the task force on April 16 to discuss communications issues with Huertas and training issues related to Bell’s death, several members of the assembled media asked Nolan questions before Brady ordered him to return to the training facility. Nolan refused the order and spoke to the media.
He was suspended with pay April 21 by Huertas, who said at the time that he expected to conduct an investigation and conclude it within two weeks.
Nolan, who has been openly critical of Huertas, was on paid suspension for 14 weeks, before receiving a 30 day suspension without pay last week, after Huertas found him that he violated department guidelines related to neglect of duty, disobedience of orders and absence from duty.
Nolan has filed a grievance against the department over the suspension and his union is moving forward with the grievance.
Huertas and Segarra were not immediately available for comment.
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