Last fall, there was a big brouhaha about a group of four firefighters who decided to sue the city after they claim they were given a direct order to participate in the San Diego Gay Pride Parade last summer.
Yesterday, I was chatting with Charles LiMandri, the Christian activist attorney who is representing the firefighters. LiMandri is also the attorney who helped the city out a couple of years ago in its defense of the Mount Soledad Cross.
LiMandri told me that the firefighters, who used to work in Hillcrest, received death threats and hassles after they brought their case. As a result, he said, they have since been reassigned and have been split up and sent to fire stations over the city.
And as a result of being sent to new postings, at least two of the firefighters are now earning less than they used to, LiMandri said. That’s because the firefighters don’t have the same opportunities at their new positions as they did in Hillcrest. Fire Capt. John Ghiotto has seen his pay drop by 10 percent, LiMandri told me.
LiMandri said he hopes to see the case come to trial this summer. The firefighters will be asking for $750,000 each.
A spokesman for the San Diego Fire Department said he couldn’t comment on the status of the firefighters, citing ongoing litigation.