The chief of the Fort Lauderdale (FL) Police Department was fired last week over allegations that he made promotions based on race, gender and sexual orientation.
City manager Chris Lagerbloom announcing his decision to fire Police Chief Larry Scirotto after just 6 months on the job said, “I made the decision that it was in the best interest of the department to separate from the current chief of police,” Lagerbloom told CBS Miami.
Former chief Scirotto is firing back. “The EEOC report is a report built on hearsay, there is no testimony, there is no transcript, there is no audio,” he said.
Lagerbloom said, “Diversity in any department is a plus. We strive to be diverse in our organization, we strive to represent the community we serve. There’s just certain lawful ways to allow that diversity to happen. And in this case, the report indicates we didn’t quite follow the law,” he said.
On Monday, Scirotto said he has hired a lawyer and is going over the various options on the table to include seeking reinstatement, Local 10 reports.
Marsha Ellison, of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is standing by Scirotto.
“The community is with him. We know that this is wrong,” Ellison said during a news conference.
The Fort Lauderdale Black Officers Association said the report that officials used to support the firing was flawed. Scirotto said city officials fired him for doing what they asked him to do when they hired him and his firing was both unfair and premature.
“If promoting diversity and inclusion in the FLPD is the hill I die on, I will sleep well tonight knowing that I did the right and just thing for this profession, the FLPD, and this community,” Scirotto said.
