file photo by Boyd Loving
Appeals court affirms decision to reduce Ridgewood firefighter’s award to $500,000 from $3.5M
Wednesday May 1, 2013, 12:29 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — A panel of appellate court judges agreed the village only has to pay one of its firefighters half-a-million dollars — far less than the $3.5 million a jury awarded him in 2012 for emotional distress.
The decision, issued Tuesday, upholds a Superior Court judge’s May 2, 2012 ruling, reducing Kevin Reilly’s damages to $500,000.
Hope the new FD manager doesn’t make the same mistakes the old FD manager made.
In case you missed it, here’s what happened under the leadership, or lack thereof, of the former fire chief. These are the key claims of Plaintiff Kevin Reilly taken verbatim from Superior Court’s Opinion document.
Plaintiff was denied promotion to Lieutenant. Only after he made several inquiries to the Village Manager was he scheduled for an interview. This was long after other candidates were already scheduled for the final psychiatric exam.
Derogatory and unsigned evaluations were placed in Plaintiff’s personnel file.
A rat key chain was put in Plaintiff’s mailbox after he filed a civil suit.
Plaintiff received a disturbing anonymous mailing at his home which was later found to have been sent by former Chief Bombace.
Plaintiff was transferred to a post where he would be denied the opportunity to hold an acting Lieutenant position.
Plaintiff and those firefighters friendly to Plaintiff were verbally threatened by firefighters who were never disciplined for their actions.
Firefighters with less experience were promoted instead of Plaintiff.
Plaintiff testified that he was the only firefighter who was required during sick leave to call into House Watch (a total of 120 times) whenever he left or returned home.
Plaintiff was subjected to an internal investigation about an off duty argument he had with another firefighter. However the other firefighter involved testified that the incident was not used against him for his promotion.
The man was and is just a trouble maker.
You must be talking about “Longtime Nut” He’s to busy on the Paul’s Patch throwing insults at posters and their wife’s. He is a real class act.
Long Time Resident, oops I mean James Bombace, is such a jerk. We all know who he is and no one is impressed. He should change his sign-on name to GAS BAG.
jjj, you are a disgrace. The plaintiff was a victim. Rather than cower when others who didn’t appreciate his complaints tried to intimidate him, he vindicated his rights. If he hadn’t done so, how would we have discovered the incompetence and petty vindictiveness that turned out to be common among the higher-ups in the Ridgewood Fire Department? In light of the recent Appeals court decision awarding him an adjusted but still substantial amount of damages, nobody should now deny the validity of his original legal claim.
I agree with you #6 this jjj has a hardon for cops as well as firemen probaly tried to be one and couldn’t make the cut.