The city's first female Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh has been slapped with a bombshell age discrimination suit that alleges she demoted, ousted, forced into retirement or retaliated against 15 top older department staffers, including chiefs.
New York City's fire commissioner has been hit with a 53-page lawsuit claiming she engaged in age discrimination by demoting and reassigning older senior staff members.
Assistant Fire Chiefs Michael Gala, Joe Jardin and Michael Massucci claim they were targeted by Kavanagh “because they were at or near the age of 60″ according to the lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court late Thursday.
Weeks after fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh first butted heads with disgruntled FDNY brass, the simmering feud took a dramatic turn after shakeup that ended with the terminations of two deputy commissioners.
Four FDNY assistant chiefs sued FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh for demoting them and others, alleging New York City Mayor Eric Adams' appointee is a "political operative" jeopardizing public safety.