A lawsuit filed by the former Police Chief in Fort Worth could go to trial this spring.
Chief Joel Fitzgerald was fired by the City Manager in May of 2019 following a confrontation with an officer from another department during an event in Washington, D.C. City officials said they had lost confidence in Chief Fitzgerald's leadership.
Fitzgerald has maintained he was actually fired for investigating corruption at Fort Worth City Hall. He filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the city seeking damages and possible reinstatement to his former position. The City of Fort Worth had tried to get the case dismissed, but Fitzgerald's attorney says an appeals court has ruled the case can proceed. He expects it to go to trial in March or April.
"Dr. Fitzgerald will not back down and will stand his ground with respect to his claims of corruption at the City of Fort Worth," said attorney Stephen Andrew Kennedy.
Fitzgerald is currently the Chief of Police in Waterloo, Iowa.
