CLEVELAND — A fire chief received a verbal reprimand Wednesday for threatening to stab a firefighter in the neck for violating dress code by not wearing his duty shirt.
Cleveland.com reported that firefighter Phillip Leslie filed the complaint with the city’s public safety department after he and other firefighters company about Fire Chief Daryl McGinnis’ threatening words on June 26.
McGinnis violated two Civil Service Rules by conducting offensive language toward fellow employees and unbecoming an employee in public service, according to the report.
“I find your passion laudable and applaud your leadership,” Cleveland Safety Director Martin Flask wrote in a letter to Chief McGinnis. “However, your choice of words in this situation was totally inappropriate and detracted from the message you were attempting to convey which was to inspire the rank and file to be more cognizant to the divisions’ commitment to serve and protect the citizens of Cleveland.”
The Cleveland Fire Fighters Union called the verbal reprimand from Flask a “slap on the wrist” and said it was not strong enough punishment, according to the report.
“What the chief did was in clear violation of workplace violence policy,” Cleveland Firefighters Union secretary Mike Norman said. “It prohibits behavior and conduct that includes oral, written or physical threats, harassment and intimidation.
“I’m not sure the safety director’s action satisfies the concerns of our membership,” he said. “We go to a lot of shootings and knifings ... we deal with those on a daily basis. We have a stressful, dangerous job, and what the chief did in front of a large number of our members is a serious issue and a cause of concern for us.”
According to firefighter Leslie, he was assigned to a different fire station that day and was going to his car to retrieve a shirt when the chief summoned the firefighters for a roll call, according to the report.
“Chief McGinnis inquired as to why my shirt was in my bag,” Leslie wrote. “I informed him I was on a detail. When the chief’s roll call addressed the issue of the use of our shirts while on duty, he specifically stressed to me that ‘the shirts will not be in our bags ... Phil.’”
Firefighter Leslie said he hoped Chief McGinnis’ comments were metaphoric in nature and tried to overlook the negative aspects of the chief’s visit, according to the report.
“(But) the assertion that he (Chief McGinnis) would stab us in the neck to get us to do what he wants, the way he wants, gives me cause for great cause for concern,” Leslie wrote. “He made mention of putting a knife in our necks several times, stating also that is not what he wants to do, but will, if it is what it would take to have things done the way he wants it....” (But) the anxiety of this episode has not receded, and so I feel (this) must be addressed in order to hopefully dispel the agitation bought about by this incident.”
McGinnis, a 27-year Cleveland fire veteran, was unavailable for comment Wednesday, according to the report.