PASADENA : Suspended Fire Chief Is Reinstated, but He Won’t Drop Claim

Pasadena Fire Chief Kaya Pekerol, who was suspended last month for unspecified reasons related to his job performance, was reinstated and is scheduled to return to work Jan. 9.

But Pekerol has said he will not withdraw a claim filed Dec. 7 alleging that City Manager Phil Hawkey and other top city officials conspired against him and violated his civil rights.

“I maintain I have done nothing wrong,” Pekerol said. “I have never been disciplined a day in my life for anything. This has been an emotional roller-coaster ride for me and my family.” A claim against a government entity is usually the first step in the filing of a lawsuit.

Hawkey, Pekerol and Pekerol’s attorneys have refused to disclose the exact reasons for the chief’s suspension with pay on Nov. 14.

After the October, 1993, Altadena fires, Pekerol was the target of a no-confidence vote taken among Pasadena firefighters. The Fire Department was later cited by the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration for several violations, many of them related to faulty equipment that was issued to firefighters during the Altadena disaster.

Shortly before his suspension, Pekerol said, he was denied a scheduled raise. After Pekerol bypassed Hawkey and appealed directly to Mayor Katie Nack for more money, Hawkey indefinitely suspended Pekerol.

City officials would not reveal Pekerol’s exact salary. The top annual salary the fire chief in Pasadena can earn is $106,584. Pekerol has been with the Pasadena Fire Department for 26 years and chief for 14 years.

After a 10-minute meeting with Hawkey on Dec. 21, Pekerol was reinstated and ordered back to work on Jan. 9. Hawkey declined to talk about the suspension and the reinstatement.

Members of the Black Professional Firefighters Assn. came to Pekerol’s defense at the Dec. 19 City Council meeting, saying Pekerol, who is white, is a leader in the Southern California region for fulfilling affirmative action hiring goals.

Hawkey lauded Pekerol for his department’s minority hiring achievements, but maintained they had no bearing on the decision to suspend the chief.