$1 Million Award for 21 Fired in Drug Case

Nearly six years after 28 firefighters at an Air Force plant in Palmdale were fired for alleged drug use, 21 of them have been awarded a total of more than $1 million in back pay. The order by a federal administrative law judge follows last year’s ruling by a Los Angeles federal court, which found that the Air Force never proved drug use, and reinstated all but four of the men.

The firefighters’ attorney, Dan Stormer, said the source of the drug charges was never identified. Offers from the firefighters to undergo drug and lie detector tests were rebuffed. Stormer contended the firefighters were denied a hearing by the Air Force, until a federal judge ordered one about two years later.

“It’s unfortunate that the taxpayers are going to have to pay more than a million because some base commander decided not to follow the Constitution,” said Stormer. He contended the firings were a “union-breaking” attempt in the wake of a new contract. About half of the barred firefighters were union activists.

One fireman, Charlie Brown, 31, said the government changed its complaint from drug use to “untrustworthiness” during the hearings. The firefighters were accused of not informing officials about the drug use of other firefighters, thereby jeopardizing their security clearances, he said. Air Force officials declined to discuss the matter.