Board: Suspend Firefighter

A Los Angeles Fire Department board of rights today issued a severe reprimand and recommended five months suspension without pay for a veteran firefighter found guilty of attempting to touch the breasts of a woman firefighter and slapping her on the buttocks.

The board admonished Anthony E. Morales, 33, that he had violated the trust placed in him by the Fire Department and the citizens of Los Angeles by making “physical, sexual contact” with Sharyl Plebuch Seward when they worked together at a Westchester fire station last year. The board’s recommendation still must be reviewed by Fire Chief Donald O. Manning, who may reduce the penalty but not increase it.