Columbia-Richland Fire Department Chief Aubrey Jenkins has filed a lawsuit against the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina and its president, Roger Odachowski, alleging negligent supervision, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Richland County Court of Common Pleas, alleges statements made in a June 19, 2023 press release and subsequent publications damaged Jenkins' reputation and caused emotional distress.
According to the complaint, the union published a press release titled, "Professional Fire Fighters of South Carolina suffer the loss of a brother; A fatal fire exposes years of a chief's neglect and deficiencies." The lawsuit states the release was distributed on social media, including Facebook, and to media outlets.
The complaint alleges the release identified Jenkins by name and linked him to allegations involving staffing shortages, equipment failures, delayed response times and safety violations. It further claims the defendants questioned Jenkins' honesty, competence and integrity and implied he was responsible for conditions that contributed to firefighter injuries and a firefighter death.
According to the lawsuit, Jenkins alleges the statements were false and that the defendants "knew or should have known that the statements were false, misleading, or published with reckless disregard for whether they were true or false." The complaint also alleges the defendants failed to conduct a...
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