Thomas McMillian Photo
Firefighter Aaron Brantley will report for duty at 9 a.m. Monday.
The state Freedom of Information Commission declared Brantley’s termination null and void after finding that the city’s Board of Fire Commissioners had violated FOI rules in their decision to fire him. (Read about the FOI violations here.)
Brantley was fired nearly a year ago, after he had been previously arrested on two felony charges of attempted bribery. He was accused of trying to bribe two fire department officials, Deputy Fire Marshal Faustino Lopez and Fire Inspector Corey Bellamy, to help him win a discrimination complaint he had filed with the Commission of Human Rights and Opportunity.
The city announced plans to reinstate Brantley late Friday in a press release.
“City employees who are members of collective bargaining units are contractually entitled to due process throughout any disciplinary action, and in this case, due process was unwittingly and unintentionally denied,” city Labor Relations Director Marcus Paca said in the release. “As a result, and because he was a member in good standing of Local 825, Firefighter Brantley’s termination is nullified per the FOIC decision, prompting the city’s plan for reinstatement.”
Local 825 President Jimmy Kottage said in the release that he was pleased that Brantley, who is appealing his conviction, could continue his career, and thanked the mayor and her staff “for their courage to undo this wrongful action.”
“This decision illuminates – and begins to undo a horrible pattern of intentional deception and bad behavior that was unjustly brought against Aaron Brantley,” Kottage said in the release.
Fire Chief Allyn Wright said in the release that Brantley’s return would help address the department’s manpower issues. “I’ll work to ensure his smooth transition back to full-time status,” Wright said in the release.
The release did not indicate whether Brantley would resume full firefighter duties, or would be placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of his appeal.