Kristen Crowley, the former chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department ousted from her position earlier this year, filed a legal claim against the city and Mayor Karen Bass, accusing the mayor of orchestrating “a campaign of misinformation, defamation, and retaliation” and using Crowley as a “scapegoat” to shift blame after the devastating fires in January.
A precursor to a lawsuit, Crowley’s claim seeks unspecified damages above $25,000 for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, and reputational damages. In the 23-page filing obtained by Rolling Stone, Crowley alleges that she repeatedly warned of the LAFD’s worsening resource and staffing crisis, and submitted reports detailing how aging infrastructure, surging emergency calls, and shrinking staff had put Los Angeles at risk. Despite these warnings, the filing alleges, Mayor Bass and her administration cut the fire department’s operating budget by $17.6 million that year and “eliminated positions critical to maintaining fire engines, trucks, and ambulances.”
The mayor’s counsel, David Michaelson, said in a statement that Bass would not comment on an “ongoing personnel claim” and that she was focusing on “preparations for the hottest temperatures of the year and the potential for regional fire danger.”
Per Wednesday’s filing, Crowley is also claiming that Bass, the city, and its employees, staff, agents, and administrators “allowed, permitted, incited, excused, and otherwise ratified the aforesaid misconduct.” The former fire chief is demanding that Bass “retract her false statements about Crowley,” issue a public apology, and end any ongoing retaliation.
In a statement, Crowley said, “The lies, deceit, exaggerations and misrepresentations need to be addressed with the only thing that can refute them – the true facts.” She continued, “Doing the right thing even when it is hard, is always the right decision and that is why I am continuing to fight for the resources our Firefighters need to keep us all safe.”
Crowley’s lawyer, Genie Harrison, said in a separate statement that Crowley’s tort claim “shows Mayor Bass’ repeated refusals to provide those resources. The citizens of Los Angeles deserve to know the truth about how underresourced the LAFD has become and how that came to be.”
As Los Angeles continues to recover from the deadly fires and reckons with its social and political aftermath, reports of a major heat wave were issued this week, warning of an increased risk for wildfires that could quickly spread. “We know how quickly fires can start and spread,” Bass said at a news conference Tuesday. “If anything, we are going above and beyond what is required right now concerning the level of threat,” Bass added. “I want Angelenos to be assured.”
