Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has filed a legal claim accusing Mayor Karen Bass of launching a smear and retaliation campaign after her dismissal earlier this year. The claim follows the deadly Palisades Fire, which killed dozens and destroyed thousands of structures, sparking widespread criticism of the city’s preparedness.
Crowley, the first woman to lead the Los Angeles Fire Department, was fired in February—just six weeks after the fire. At the time, Mayor Bass accused her of failing to deploy 1,000 reserve firefighters and refusing to submit an after-action report. Crowley now argues those charges were politically motivated, designed to shield the mayor from accountability for years of budget cuts and staffing shortages that left the department under-resourced.
In her tort filing, Crowley alleges violations of state labor law and her First Amendment rights. The claim accuses Bass and city officials of orchestrating a “misinformation, defamation, and retaliation” campaign that has damaged her professional reputation. She is demanding a public retraction, an apology, and an end to what she describes as ongoing retaliation.
Crowley defended her handling of the Palisades Fire, stating she had mobilized all available resources during the disaster. She has repeatedly warned that the city’s chronic underfunding of the department left Los Angeles unprepared for large-scale emergencies. Last year, Crowley publicly raised alarms that the city had “failed her agency” by not addressing equipment needs and staffing shortages.
Her appeal of the termination was rejected by the Los Angeles City Council in March, with members voting 13–2 to uphold Bass’s decision. The filing of this tort claim opens the door to a potential civil lawsuit, which could compel disclosure of internal communications and emergency planning decisions inside city hall.
The case adds to political pressure on Mayor Bass, already facing questions about her leadership on homelessness and public safety. If litigation proceeds, it will likely fuel debate over accountability between city leaders and first responders in California’s largest city.
