A former Los Angeles Fire Department paramedic has tentatively settled his lawsuit against the city in which he alleged he was not given proper accommodations after he was removed from paramedic duties due to health issues and that the city was trying to "force plaintiff out of the department."
Dennis Frierson's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleged discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate and engage in the interactive process and failure to prevent discrimination and retaliation. On Friday, his attorneys filed court papers with Judge Maurice A. Leiter notifying him of a "conditional" accord in the case with the expectation a request for dismissal will be filed. He seeks unspecified damages.
In their previous court papers, lawyers for the city denied Frierson's allegations and cited multiple defenses, including violation of the statute of limitations and that any actions taken concerning the plaintiff were done for "legitimate business reasons."
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Frierson was hired in 2014 and his assignments have included tactical paramedic duties and assisting during coronavirus operations. However, in 2020 he began experiencing myocarditis -- inflammation of the heart muscle -- with severe symptoms and so the next year he began work in a light-duty assignment in the Fire Prevention Bureau.
The temporary bureau assignment ended in June 2022 and he remained off- duty until his doctor cleared him to return to regular duties in February 2023 as a dispatcher, where he worked the next 20 months, the suit stated.
But by December 2024, the city's physician put permanent work restrictions on the plaintiff that he believed were unreasonable and based on incomplete medical reports, the suit stated. Instead of being provided reasonable accommodations with assignments compatible with his abilities, he was placed off duty, his pay was terminated and he was recommended for a civilian assignment with less pay, even though dispatcher colleagues of his with similar restrictions were allowed to keep working, the suit stated.
Frierson believes the actions taken after he spoke out against his treatment are "an attempt to force plaintiff out of the department," the suit stated.
In addition, Frierson's experiences with the LAFD occurred despite a shortage of paramedics within the department and he has endured mounting financial losses and emotional distress and his career advancements have been impaired, the suit filed January 2017 alleged.
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