Sixth Circuit Denies Cincinnati Immunity in Fire Chief 14th Amendment Suit
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg Law · Aug 17
Sixth Circuit Denies Cincinnati Immunity in Fire Chief 14th Amendment Suit
2 articles · Updated · Bloomberg Law · Aug 17
Summary
The Sixth Circuit upheld a lower-court refusal to grant qualified immunity to Cincinnati and statutory immunity to its city manager in a fired fire chief’s lawsuit.
The panel said the chief had a property interest in keeping his job after completing probation under the city charter, triggering 14th Amendment procedural due process protections.
That meant Cincinnati was required to provide a pre-termination hearing before firing him, allowing his due process claims to proceed.
The ruling also leaves intact state-law defamation claims against the city and manager, extending the case beyond the federal constitutional dispute.