Local News in Brief : Firefighter Sues City, Union

A Hawthorne firefighter has filed suit in Torrance Superior Court, claiming he was demoted in retaliation for political activities.

The suit said the activities included giving potentially embarrassing information on Fire Department overtime pay and departmental expenditures to a member of the City Council.

In the suit, Dennis Patriquin said his rank was reduced from probationary engineer to firefighter because he leaked inside departmental information to Councilwoman Ginny M. Lambert.

City officials declined to comment.

As part of an intense communitywide debate over fire and paramedic services last fall, Lambert advocated a study to show whether the county could provide fire services more cheaply than the city Fire Department. The council on Dec. 9 voted 3 to 2 against conducting the study.

Patriquin, a 16-year employee, said that he was forced by top department officials to sign a letter of reprimand admitting that his political activities violated departmental regulations and the city’s Municipal Code. Patriquin’s attorney, Robert H. Swensen, denied that he violated departmental regulations or laws and said the firefighter was simply exercising his First Amendment right of free speech.

After signing the letter, Patriquin said he was subjected to harassment, including an anonymous telephoned death threat, because he had violated an unwritten code of keeping complaints within the department.

Swensen said Patriquin has been on a stress disability leave since September, when he was demoted and that he is fearful of returning to work because his life depends on the good will of his co-workers.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages from the city, top Fire Department officials, including Chief Roger Milstead, and directors of the firefighters union.

Lambert declined to comment on the suit, as did City Manager R. Kenneth Jue. Milstead was out of town and was unavailable for comment.