A hearing officer with the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission has recommended the dismissal of a veteran’s preference complaint brought by Bonita Springs firefighter and National Guard veteran John Kutz over the district’s decision to promote another officer to Deputy Chief of EMS.
The administrative case appears to arise from the same set of events underlying a federal lawsuit we covered last year, in which Kutz alleged that Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue District discriminated against him based on his military service following his return from National Guard deployment. Here is more on that suit that remains active in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
The position at issue was posted in September 2024 after the district learned that the existing Deputy Chief of EMS would be leaving. According to the hearing record, the position functioned as the district’s third-ranking command post, directly below the fire chief and assistant chief…