Dodgers Deny All Allegations of Safety Violations at Stadium

The Dodgers, responding to charges by a former employee that included alleged safety violations at Dodger Stadium, issued a statement Friday denying all allegations and saying there are no public-safety issues at the stadium.

In addition, Sam Fernandez, Dodger general counsel, said that it is not appropriate for the club to discuss the reasons for the departure Aug. 16 of Jim Italiano, former director of stadium operations.

Italiano, speaking through his attorney Thursday, said he was fired by the Dodgers for reasons that included his knowledge of safety violations that the club has ignored and because of an incident in the parking lot July 18 when Dodger security guards allegedly beat a man they believed to be a scalper.

The Dodgers have said their account of the incident--which they have not made public--differs greatly from that of the alleged victim. Fernandez said Italiano’s departure was not precipitated solely by the July 18 incident, and had nothing to do with the Vince Coleman incident involving an explosive device, which occurred about a week later.

“Jim Italiano was the safety officer for the company,” Fernandez said in a statement. “It was his responsibility to identify any safety issues and to address those issues. If Jim had any concerns regarding public safety at the stadium, he should have resolved those concerns in his capacity as safety officer. To our knowledge, there are no public-safety issues at Dodger Stadium.”

Italiano has not made public the specific allegations regarding safety at the stadium.