Getting fired can be a very upsetting experience for any person across Maryland because people generally do not want to be forced to leave a job. However, employers do have the right to terminate workers for any number of reasons. While the decision to let someone go may not be easy or favorable, it is crucial that it is legal.
Employees who feel that they have been unfairly fired may decide to file a wrongful termination claim against an employer. A lawsuit of this kind can put business owners and managers in the difficult position of defending their decision to fire someone and providing evidence to support the decision. This is the very situation that has come up in the wake of a Maryland fire department’s decision to fire a deputy chief.
According to reports, a fire chief at the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Fire and Rescue Department recently filed a lawsuit against the department saying that he was wrongfully terminated. The man is the first black fire chief to serve in the position and says the road to the position was not easy. In 2001, he was passed over for the deputy fire chief position and filed a discrimination lawsuit that ultimately lasted for six years before an agreement was reached and he was hired. He says that the lawsuit filed back then was the reason he was recently passed over for another promotion and fired.
The man had been serving as a temporary chief of the department for more than three months before the department started interviewing people for the permanent position. Not only did the man not get the job, but he was fired shortly after the decision was made. In his lawsuit, the man argues that he was let go unfairly and believes that the decision is related to the discrimination lawsuit he had filed in 2001. However, proving the employer was discriminatory in their decision could be quite difficult. It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out.
In any legal dispute between employees and employers, it can be crucial for parties to have the support of an experienced attorney. Of course rights must be protected, but it can also be important to try and avoid costly and or unnecessary litigation. With legal support, there may be ways for parties to pursue a resolution through risk management, negotiation or mediation efforts.
Source: WBAL-TV, “BWI fire dept.’s hiring process questioned amid firing,” Kerry Cavanaugh