Former LA Fire Chief Sues City, Mayor
Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley is suing the city of Los Angeles and Mayor Karen Bass over her removal from the position. The lawsuit alleges wrongful termination and claims that the mayor's office interfered with her duties, setting up a potential legal conflict with city leadership.
- Kristin Crowley was the first woman and first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as the Los Angeles Fire Department Chief, a position she held from March 2022 until her removal in February 2025. - The lawsuit alleges that Mayor Karen Bass and her office retaliated against Crowley after she publicly raised concerns about the LAFD's budget cuts and "worsening resource and staffing crisis." - Mayor Bass has publicly stated that Crowley was removed for her handling of the January 2025 Palisades Fire, specifically citing a failure to pre-deploy firefighters and for sending 1,000 firefighters home the morning the fire broke out. - Crowley's lawsuit claims that she had repeatedly warned the mayor's office about the fire risks associated with understaffing and budget cuts prior to the Palisades Fire. - The lawsuit further accuses the mayor's office of attempting to alter the after-action report on the Palisades Fire to protect Mayor Bass from "reputational harm." - Prior to her appointment as chief by former Mayor Eric Garcetti, Crowley had been with the LAFD for 22 years, serving in various roles including firefighter, paramedic, and fire marshal. - Following Crowley's ousting, Mayor Bass appointed Ronnie Villanueva as the interim Fire Chief before naming Jaime E. Moore as the permanent chief in November 2025.
