June 1, 2022~Former Montebello Fire Captain Vernon Creswell served a federal lawsuit on the City of Montebello today, for wrongful termination in retaliation for his whistleblower complaints of race discrimination, and other illegal activity by Montebello Fire Department leadership. Mr. Creswell also seeks a court-ordered reinstatement.
Mr. Creswell filed suit after waiting unsuccessfully for approximately 17 months for an internal appeal of the termination decision — which Montobello’s own city ordinance (Section 2.60.220(C)) requires to take place within 20 days. Mr. Creswell filed the civil service appeal in January 2021, but as of May 2022 the City had still not allowed Mr. Creswell to appeal his termination before the City’s civil service commission.
Mr. Creswell previously was found to have been subject to race harassment and retaliation by a jury in 2015.
The federal complaint alleges that the City has retaliated against Mr. Creswell for his whistleblower complaint in September 2020 which is pasted below here.
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