Gabrielle Russon
A former senior fire official in Orlando is suing the city over accusations he was unfairly fired.
That official said he defended another employee whom he claimed had been retaliated against for needing disability accommodations.
In his short tenure with the city, former Deputy Fire Chief Manuel Navarro also said his authority was undermined by leadership after he brought up concerns over “dangerous working conditions” in the fire stations from what he said were problems with mold, rodent infestation and a lack of air conditioning, according to his federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court earlier this month.
Navarro also said the Fire Department “failed to complete the Fire Station Alerting System,” lacked mentorship support for employees and didn’t properly report to Mayor Buddy Dyer and the city.
Navarro, who was hired in January 2023 on a two-year contract, was fired before the end of 2023, his lawsuit said.
The Orlando Fire Department (OFD) declined to comment on the pending litigation. But Department spokesman Jesse Canales said in a statement, “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.”
Navarro’s lawyers did not respond to a request for comment.
Starting his job as Executive Deputy Chief on Jan. 3, 2023, Navarro was paid an annual salary of $162,523, the lawsuit said.
Navarro, who now lives in Colorado Springs, said he had 50 years of experience working at Fire Departments.
Navarro said his job was soon “unilaterally” changed to Deputy Chief of Administrative Services within the month he started in Orlando.
Under his new role, “Navarro was assigned the responsibility of managing and overseeing the following divisions within the OFD: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Facilities; Information Technology; and Professional Development,” the lawsuit said.
“Within the first few months of his tenure as Deputy Chief of Administrative Services, Navarro quickly identified numerous issues within the OFD which he pointed out to Chief (Charlie) Salazar and other members of the OFD Executive Team.”
When Navarro brought up his concerns about Fire Department conditions, he said he was excluded from OFD Executive Team Meetings and the senior leaders undermined his authority, his lawsuit said.
Other officials spoke negatively about him, directed subordinates to handle his responsibilities and kept Navarro in the dark about information, the lawsuit claimed.
“Despite these obstacles, Navarro performed all the essential duties of his job, and he performed them well,” the lawsuit said.
Navarro said he was helping another fire employee whom he believed had been retaliated against because she was seeking accommodations for her disability, the lawsuit said.
By Fall 2023, Navarro was notified that his contract was being terminated and he was told not to report to work.
Navarro filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the city last year, the lawsuit said.
By April, the U.S. Department of Justice notified Navarro of his right to file a civil lawsuit against his former employer, according to court documents.
