Larry Scirotto, Fort Lauderdale’s former police chief and current Pittsburgh Police chief, pushed for diversity in the upper ranks but was fired six months into the job amid claims he made promotions based on the color of the candidates’ skin.
Scirotto, 50, filed a federal lawsuit in March seeking damages approaching $10 million for what he called breach of contract and wrongful termination. That lawsuit was dismissed by U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas in late September, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
Another lawsuit against the city — one filed by four officers passed over for promotion by Scirotto — led to a recent $130,939 settlement. City commissioners agreed Tuesday to settle the case and pay damages for the officers’ emotional pain and suffering.
Scirotto was sworn in as Pittsburgh Police chief on June 7. He joined the agency there in 1995 and worked his way up to the rank of assistant chief. He left in 2018 only to return this year as chief.