Ex-IN Fire Chief Sues FD for Back Pay

A former fire chief has filed a federal lawsuit against the Center Township Fire Department for more than 330 hours of overtime.

Ernie Campbell alleges in his suit that he was fired over a time-off request and did not receive his compensatory time or pay for more than eight weeks since he began working for the department in 1989.

Campbell was fire chief from 2008-’10. He stayed with the department as a regular firefighter until July when he claims was fired for demanding his overtime pay when he wasn’t granted his day-off request. According to his attorney, Andrew Dutkanych III, of the Evansville law firm Biesecker, Dutkanych & Macer, Campbell is suing under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In the complaint, Campbell alleges that in lieu of overtime, the department offered compensatory time. When he tried to use the time, he was denied his request to not be scheduled on July 13.

His suit goes on to say that when Campbell complained that he was unable to use his time, he asked to be paid for more than 330 hours. Campbell claims he was fired on July 31 as retaliation.

The suit alleges damages, and while there is no dollar amount requested, Campbell is asking either to be reinstated or paid for his income loss, accumulated overtime hours, attorney’s fees, and punitive damages.

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