Weeks Before LA Fires Exploded, Dept Insider Filed Suit Accusing Chief Crowley of Wildly Improper Behavior
Senior fire officials in Los Angeles were involved in a legal battle mere weeks or even days before the deadly wildfires broke out and caused significant damage in the area.
Jenny Park, who formerly worked as fire administrator for the Los Angeles Fire Department, asserted in a legal complaint that LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley unfairly retaliated against her, according to a Wednesday report from the U.K. Daily Mail.
Park claimed that Crowley wrongly fired her in December 2023 after she pointed out that Crowley allegedly “failed to repay the city for a significant overpayment she had received in error.”
Martin Aarons, an attorney for Park, told the Daily Mail that Crowley was allegedly paid $37,000 beyond her actual salary.
But when Park, a former deputy city attorney, reminded Crowley about the need to pay back that sum to the city, she was “ghosted,” per the lawyer.
“Chief Crowley got paid a significant amount of money that was an overpayment — thousands of dollars — and, to our knowledge, never repaid that money,” Aarons told the outlet.
“She just refused to do so,” he continued. “Ms. Park would routinely remind her about it and she just ghosted her.”
The legal complaint also asserted that Crowley and LAFD Deputy Chief Orin Saunders targeted Park with intimidation, retaliation, and harassment.
“Chief Crowley’s and Chief Saunders’ harassment and retaliation caused enormous stress and anxiety for Ms. Park, harming her physical health, mental well-being and financial security,” the lawsuit continued, per the Daily Mail.
The document also contended that Park was targeted by the two officials, who allegedly sought to “intimidate her into silence” and claimed she was responsible for issues with a payroll system.
Park allegedly tried to raise concerns in September 2023 about a contract with a third party sought by Saunders that would have allegedly created a conflict of interest.
She met with other Los Angeles officials to discuss her fear that she would be retaliated against for exposing the proposal and blocking the contract.
“Ms. Park had been sharing her distress and frustration with colleagues regarding ongoing harassment and retaliation and informed several former and current high-ranking members of the department that she had filed a complaint direct with Chief Sanders,” the lawsuit added.
Crowley and other top Los Angeles fire officials have been in the national spotlight as the department has struggled to contain the blazes appearing in the metropolitan area.
They have been especially criticized for appearing to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts amid concerns about the capacity of the agency to handle an emergency.
Crowley is prominently described on the LAFD website as the “first female and LGBTQ Fire Chief in the LAFD.”
Her biography on the webpage said that her “priorities” include “creating, supporting, and promoting a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and equity while striving to meet and exceed the expectations of the communities.”
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