Fired Fort Lauderdale Chief Files $10M Lawsuit Against City

Former Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Larry Scirotto claims he was wrongfully terminated nine months after accepting the position. His termination came after an investigation into complaints that he made hiring and promotion decisions with an improper minority-first approach .

"He believes there's been baseless allegations that have severely damaged his reputation,” Scirotto’s attorney Nicole Martell told NBC Miami . "Mr. Scirotto is looking to set the record straight."

The former chief is seeking to be reinstated and is suing the city for $10 million for allegedly violating his rights.

In March 2022, the city fired the former chief after an investigative report conducted by an outside attorney the city hired concluded: “There is a very divisive atmosphere within [FLPD] based on the perception the [Plaintiff] is intentionally using race, gender and sexual orientation as attributes necessary for promotions.”

The 20-page lawsuit filed earlier this month said Scirotto promoted 15 Fort Lauderdale Police Department employees during his time as chief: nine of them were white men, one white woman, two Black men, one Black woman and one Hispanic man and one Hispanic woman.