Deposition deadlines are approaching this month for a federal lawsuit filed against the city of High Springs by a former fire department employee, alleging widespread cronyism, retaliation, policy and safety violations.

According to former High Springs Fire Department (HSFD) Lt. Frederick Findley’s suit, Findley worked at HSFD from October 2008 until City Manager Jeremy Marshall wrongfully fired him in January 2025.

A few months after his termination, Findley filed a charge against the city for sex and disability discrimination before filing the federal suit in December.

The suit alleges that Findley’s termination followed his repeated reporting of department policy violations, opposition to discrimination and requests for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in the four months leading up to it.

The depositions of High Springs employees and other witnesses are slated for April 14 and 22 ahead of a jury trial on Oct. 13. Marshall did not respond to a request for comment on the suit.

In the suit, Findley claims Fire Chief Joseph Peters, who came to HSFD in May 2024, failed to pay employees, retaliated against those who didn’t support his hiring and gave preferential treatment to Lt. Kim Arnold because she favored Peters’ daughter.

In October 2024, Findley emailed Peters that some HSFD employees who worked during a state of emergency hadn’t been properly paid. After Peters forwarded the email to Marshall and the city attorney, the city attorney confirmed the city needed to pay.

Even after a follow-up email, Findley never received a response from Peters and the employees were never paid, according to the suit.

The suit also said Peters bypassed standard procedures to promote Arnold to a position created exclusively for her and failed to discipline her outbursts, drug log falsification and disability discrimination.

The suit recounted a time Findley witnessed Arnold tell a mentally handicapped volunteer he stunk with bad body odor, was a liability to the department and shouldn’t be there.

Even after Findley reported the incident and other safety violations on Arnold’s shifts, the suit said Peters never disciplined Arnold.

“Kim Arnold specifically falsified records regarding drug logs and never signed in or out after taking drugs out of a protected drug container which [Findley] reported to a Captain and it was reported to Peters,” the suit said. “She also failed to follow SOP [Standard Operating Procedures] on scene at fires and other emergencies and was incompetent at times performing her job duties, which was reported by Findley to Peters. No action was taken against Arnold.”

Findley became the subject of intensified targeting after confronting Peters about playing favorites with Arnold and was irrationally disciplined, contributing to Findley’s FMLA leave for depression, according to the suit.

In November 2024, Peters wrote up Findley for requesting a Kelly Day off with the department’s new payroll system, the suit said. The suit also said the city resurrected a 2021 report against Findley where his shift was “written up as a pretext to create a fabricated pattern of misconduct…accusing him of violating the [SOP] for [HSFD].”

That same month, City Commissioner Chad Howell initiated a meeting to discuss the department’s heavy rescue vehicle with Findley, who told Howell the vehicle had life safety risks.

The suit said Peters gave Findley a look after Howell left that implied him thinking, “I can’t believe that the Commissioner came to talk to you and not me,” and that Howell later told Findley’s father he felt he’d “put a target” on Findley’s back.

The next month after Findley took his second 24-hour FMLA leave with notice to Peters, Marshall fired Findley in January for “repetitive misconduct” and “failure to meet leadership standards.”

The suit said no progressive discipline was used against Findley, despite a policy requiring oral or written reprimands before suspension or termination.

Findley was escorted from HSFD premises by police “in an unnecessary show of force that further humiliated and injured his professional reputation,” denied a pre-termination hearing, notice of charges, opportunity to respond to them or investigation.

However, the suit said a covert investigation was conducted on Findley after he took FMLA leave.

When Findley’s supervisor Deputy Chief Andy Burkhalter asked Marshall for the basis of Findley’s termination, the suit said he was told about the ongoing investigation of Findley for the past month because of Findley’s repetitive misconduct.

Burkhalter asked why, as Findley’s supervisor, he hadn’t been informed about the investigation but didn’t get a response. According to the suit, Findley had just received a 4.5 out of 5 rating on his work evaluation at the time of his termination.

The suit also said the city seemed to have planned the termination because Marshall contacted Alachua County Fire Rescue requesting coverage for Findley’s shift before firing him.

After Findley was hired by the Live Oak Fire Department in April 2025, he was terminated in May in response to what the suit said were retaliatory or defamatory communications from High Springs officials to Live Oak officials.

As a result of this termination, the suit said Findley was forced to change career fields and now works as a construction supervisor.

“Because of the Defendant, [Findley] has lost his lifelong plan to be and retire as a firefighter,” the suit said.

Findley is seeking compensation for damages and economic loss and attorney fee costs.