Little Rock firefighters’ lawsuit settled; city will pay $151,500 in legal fees over termination dispute
Little Rock agreed to pay $151,500 in legal fees to settle a lawsuit filed by three firefighters terminated after a belt-swapping incident.Summary
Little Rock elected officials have agreed to pay approximately $151,500 in attorney's fees and court costs to settle a lawsuit brought by three firefighters terminated over a workplace incident. The city's Board of Directors adopted a resolution authorizing the payment after a detailed review of billing records found no inappropriate charges. In March, the board approved a settlement with the plaintiffs—Brad Tubbs, Patrick Pitts, and Charles Phillips—that included a combined total of nearly $1 million for back pay. The litigation arose from a 2020 incident at a fire station where Tubbs swatted firefighter Jason Fuller with a belt during a lighthearted discussion about cooking duties. Tubbs was fired for the act, while Pitts and Phillips were terminated for failing to intervene. After appeals to the Little Rock Civil Service Commission and Pulaski County Circuit Court, a judge converted the terminations to 30-day suspensions and ordered reinstatement with back wages. The final settlement includes gross payments of $310,000 to Tubbs and $333,000 each to Phillips and Pitts, with Tubbs and Phillips agreeing to retire.
(Source：Nwaonline)