Following the termination of former Sparks’ Fire Chief Mark Lawson late last year, Lawson’s legal team has demanded that the City of Sparks reimburse him for $441,218.83 to allegedly cover lost wages, damage to his reputation, legal fees, health insurance, and unused leave.
Lawson didn’t act as the city’s fire chief for very long…after the Sparks City Council approved his employment at its November 28, 2022, meeting it came out that he had felony drug charges regarding steroid use pending against him. Less than a week into his employment, Sparks City Manager Neil Krutz posted a video (that has since been deleted) that Lawson agreed to resign when the City learned of this situation.
However, a few days before Christmas, Lawson’s attorney sent a letter to the City of Sparks insisting that Lawson be reinstated as the Sparks Fire Chief. From Lawson’s account, Krutz called him into his office and terminated his employment. Lawson in turn objected to the termination because he believes he is innocent of the charges filed against him. Lawson maintained that the City of Sparks didn’t treat him fairly by defaming him in a YouTube video before he had the chance for a fair trial, ruining his reputation, and that his employment contract stated that the City was required to give him 30 days’ written notice before termination, among other things.
It is not confirmed whether the City responded to the initial letter but then on January 19, 2023, Hutchinson & Steffen Attorneys sent the City of Sparks a second demand letter requesting that the City reinstate his position until the drug case is resolved, in the very least put Lawson on paid leave.
The City has two weeks to respond to the letter, the same day that Lawson is scheduled to be in Sparks Justice Court regarding the four pending felony drug charges.
Hutchinson & Steffen Attorneys suggest that if no type of compensation for Mr. Lawson is presented to the city council within the two weeks, then Lawson may take his case to the Second Judicial District Court.
“City Manager Krutz’s rush to judgement is inexcusable and has irreparably harmed Chief Lawson,” the January 19th letter stated. “It is bitterly disappointing to Chief Lawson that City Manager Krutz and the City of Sparks will not even consider any form of reinstatement.
“Given the City’s refusal to reinstate Chief Lawson to his position as the Chief of the Sparks Fire Department, we now demand on his behalf that the City pay him the salary and benefits that were due to him under his contract with the City had he been terminated under the ‘without cause’ provisions of the Employment Agreement,” the January 19th letter added.
The City of Sparks has not officially replaced Lawson with a new fire chief but has already moved forward with naming three finalists to participate in an interview on January 25th to fill the vacant position. The finalists include Carson City Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Aaron Lowe, Pasco Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Reid, and Lorenzo Gigliotti who spent 38 years in fire service and retired from the Apple Valley Fire Protection District.
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