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Ex-Largo firefighter files claim against city

His lawyer says city employees' comments made the former inspector - now Clearwater's assistant fire marshal - seem "deceptive and less than honest."

By SHANNON TAN
Published September 28, 2005

Former Largo fire inspector Steven C. Strong has filed a claim for damages over comments city officials made about him in a Times article last month.

"I can't wait to get into a civil courtroom so the truth comes out," Strong said Tuesday.

Strong's attorney, John H. Thompson IV, wrote a letter to the City Commission on Sept. 14, calling the comments tantamount to slander.

Without specifying which comments Strong objected to, Thompson wrote, "the statements ... are false, misleading, and they have resulted in the defamation of Mr. Strong's character and may well rise to the level of libel and slander."

Strong, 39, left Largo in 2000 on a disability pension. He injured his right knee four years earlier when he slipped in water and fell as he got out of a Largo Fire Rescue truck. That year, he was awarded a tax-free disability pension that pays $1,481.81 a month.

After leaving Largo, Strong went on to work for fire departments in St. Petersburg and Dunedin. In April, he was hired as Clearwater's assistant fire marshal, where he makes $64,000 a year.

When Largo officials heard he was working for another city, they offered him his old job back. Largo City Manager Steven Stanton and human resources director Susan Sinz said in a Times article last month that Strong was doing a similar job in a neighboring city while receiving disability payments from Largo.

The position Sinz offered was a full-time regular firefighter's job with a permanent assignment to the fire prevention division as a fire inspector. Thompson said in his letter that four doctors have found Strong "permanently unable to perform" the job.

"Nevertheless, they have depicted and implied that Mr. Strong has been deceptive and less than honest," Thompson wrote.

Thompson contended in his letter that the city, through its employees, was attempting to inappropriately influence the city's police and fire pension board to take away Strong's pension.

Without going into details, Thompson also claimed that individuals from the city may have violated federal laws protecting patients' medical records by providing Strong's medical reports to third parties without his authorization.

Stanton disagreed. "The city of Largo is very careful to ensure absolute confidentiality of medical information," he said.

Thompson did not return calls for comment.

If the city doesn't settle the claim for damages in six months, Strong can file suit, Largo City Attorney Alan Zimmet said.

Clearwater fire union official Jim Carino said he also received a similar letter from Strong alleging that union members tried to obtain Strong's medical records illegally.

"That is absolutely not true," said Carino, executive vice president of the union. Carino said he filed a public records request only for Strong's job application and resume.

Sinz said she didn't understand why Thompson characterized her statements as false and misleading when she was simply stating the facts.

"I think it's unfortunate they don't understand the facts as we see them," she said.

"If we didn't think Mr. Strong was able to do the job and do it well, we would probably not want him back," Stanton said. "He was a very good employee when he worked here."

Strong is one of several former public safety employees on disability being evaluated by trustees of Largo's police and fire retirement plan. The city did not ask the trustees to re-examine Strong's case. Trustees regularly review the status of former employees on disability pension, said Scott Christiansen, an attorney for the board of trustees.

While the results of Strong's independent medical examination were not available, the trustees were expected to discuss the issue at their regular meeting Oct. 11, although no action will be taken. Jonathan Ellis, administrator of the police and fire retirement plan, said a formal hearing needs to take place before any action on a person's pension status.

Shannon Tan can be reached at 727 445-4174 or shtan@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 28, 2005, 02:30:38]