Since Inweekly broke the story about former Mayor Ashton Hayward settling the federal lawsuits filed by his former fire chief and deputy chief, the newspaper has repeatedly asked to interview new City…
Tag: Matt Schmitt
Exclusive: Chief Schmitt speaks out
This morning, Inweekly broke the story that the City of Pensacola settled the discrimination lawsuits filed by former Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Glover for $575,000. The settlement…
Buzz: Depositions in fire chiefs lawsuit scheduled for next week
Inweekly has learned Mayor Ashton Hayward, City Administrator Eric Olson, Chief Human Resources Officer (yes, that’s really his title) Ed Sisson and other officials are scheduled to be deposed next week in…
City Hall: Mayor does not need separate legal counsel
Inweekly asked the Hayward Administration whether Mayor Ashton Hayward needed to have separate legal counsel since Judge Roger Vinson ruled he was individually named in fired Pensacola Fire Chief Matt Schmitt’s lawsuit….
Schmitt vs. Hayward rises several questions
Now that Mayor Ashton Hayward is individually named a defendant in the lawsuit brought by former Fire Chief Matt Schmitt, the City -both Mayor and City Council- will be breaking new ground….
Judge denies motion to let Mayor Hayward out of fire chief lawsuit
Federal Judge Roger Vinson denied Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward’s motion to be removed (in his individual capacity) from former Fire Chief Matt Schmitt’s lawsuit: Judge Vinson concluded, “The defendants’ partial motion to…
Okaloosa fire chiefs suspended, see report
Ocean City Wright Fire Control District commissioners voted this week to suspend Fire Chief Billy Lord for 45 days and Assistant Fire Chief Scott Funchess for 30 days without pay following an…
How did Hayward, Olson and Sisson hand out pay raises last year?
In his civil rights lawsuit against Mayor Ashton Hayward and the City of Pensacola, former Fire Chief Matt Schmitt said that City Administrator Eric Olson denied his pay raise request. Schmitt alleges…
Former Pensacola fire chief sues Mayor Hayward, Olson and Sisson
Former Pensacola Fire Chief Matt Schmitt has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Mayor Ashton Hayward, City Administrator Eric Olson, Chief Human Resources Officer Ed Sisson, and the City of Pensacola….
Attorney clarifies conclusion regarding demise of Independent Personnel Board
Attorney Russell Van Sickle clarified that the conclusion that that Mayor Hayward was not bound to create the Independent Personnel Board, which we published in our June 2 “Buzz” column, had been…
City Hall changes job description of Pensacola Fire Chief before investigation completed
Inweekly has discovered the job description for the Pensacola Fire Chief was changed on March 14, six weeks before Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van Sickle completed his investigation of Fire Chief…
City of Pensacola CFO warns Council about special meeting on fire chiefs
Dick Barker, Chief Financial Officer for the City of Pensacola, yesterday sent a memo to City Administrator Eric Olson warning that any public discussion of Mayor Ashton Hayward’s investigation and termination of…
Deas complaint against Pensacola deputy fire chief may not have qualified as a city grievance
The complaint lodged by Chief Human Resources Officer Ed Sisson that has gotten the most attention from the media concerns how Fire Chief Matt Schmitt handled a complaint filed by a firefighter…
Pensacola mayor defends independence of investigation of fire chiefs
Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward addressed with the News Journal concerns that the Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van Sickle’s investigation of Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Glover was…
Independence of Pensacola fire chiefs investigation questioned
New documents published by former Pensacola Councilwoman Maren Deweese have cast doubts about the independence of Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van Sickle’s investigation of Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire…
Boyd Forum: Citizens admonish empty chairs of MIA Pensacola mayor and administrator
Several citizens appeared the Boyd Forum held at the beginning of the Pensacola City Council on Thursday, May 12. Many wore red bands on their arms in support of Fire Chief Matt…
Pensacola City Hall adds more files to ‘Transparent’ page on fire chiefs
On Tuesday, May 10, when the mayor’s office published the mayor’s decision to terminate Pensacola Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Glover, the city posted the investigative reported prepared…
Inside Fire Chiefs Report: Deas complaint, failed to follow union grievance process
Chief Human Resources Office Ed Sisson complained, “Schmitt and Glover intentionally and deceptively severely retaliated against Edward Deas, an African-American Fire Lieutenant, merely because Deas made a written complaint about Glover.” This has…
Inside Fire Chiefs Investigation: Battalion chief raises, ‘blame to go around to all’
Chief Human Resources Officer Ed Sisson complained that “(Deputy Fire Chief) Glover and (Fire Chief) Schmitt handled raise requests for the battalion chiefs poorly, and then improperly tried to place the blame…
Inside Pensacola Fire Chiefs report: Jan 2016 was first time PFD handled hiring process without HR, but given no written protocols
Last night, I reviewed Exhibit VII that supports the section of Russell Van Sickles’ report regarding the first of six complaints that Chief Human Resource Officer Ed Sisson filed in late January…