PORT ST. LUCIE — Two of three St. Lucie County firefighters fired for allegedly hazing recruits have filed a whistleblower complaint against top Fire District administrators.
Christopher Baldwin, who has been with the St. Lucie County Fire District since 2020, and Jordon Hutchinson, who's been with the district since 2015, submitted the retaliation complaint Oct. 4. Beyond their specific discipline, it focuses on "a broader pattern involving complaint handling, conflicts of interest, retaliation, investigative control, termination and the later settlement process," according to documents obtained by TCPalm.
The "retaliation complaint" names Fire Chief Jeff Lee, Assistant Chief Brian Gonzalez and Fire District Attorney Kim Sabol.
In their whistleblower complain, Baldwin and Hutchinson claim:
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They "repeatedly reported suspected misconduct by senior district officials," but those same officials controlled or influenced the handling of those complaints.
When they sought review by the Fire Board — because the ordinary chain of command was itself implicated — Lee subjected them to a legal due-process procedure, known as a Loudermill process.
They ultimately were fired while their retaliation allegations remained unresolved.
Fire District spokesperson Taylor Peeden did not return calls seeking comment on the whistleblower complaint.
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