Austin, TX (WBAP/KLIF) – In a surprise move, the Texas Workforce Commission on Monday reversed course on an earlier decision to deny former Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald unemployment compensation due to “work-related misconduct.”
Fitzgerald’s lawyer Stephen Kennedy said that the agency now says it has found no evidence that Fitzgerald did anything wrong. “It’s one thing for the city to announce that he’s being terminated for cause based on unsubstantiated claims on what he did in D.C. and it’s another thing to actually do research and collect evidence and the Texas Workforce Commission did that,” Kennedy said.
Fitzgerald was fired, in part, after Fort worth officials said he acted inappropriately during a law enforcement event in Washington, D.C. At the time Fitzgerald was alleged to have been involved in a heated confrontation with the head of the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas.
In a statement after the firing, Fort Worth City Manager David Cook said that the firing was a culmination of different things, to include the alleged DC incident and the fact the Fitzgerald’s loyalty was in question amid reports that he had become the top candidate for the same position in Baltimore.
The TWC said in its decision that Fitzgerald did not do anything wrong and nothing significant occurred. The agency said that Fitzgerald is entitled to full unemployment compensation benefits since his firing on May 20.
Meantime, Fitzgerald’s lawyer had previously demanded that the dismissal be reversed and the Fitzgerald be granted a public hearing before the firing is made final.
The city responded by saying, the firing is final.
Read the full statement here:
The outcome was expected. The City was represented by Corporate Cost Control, a third-party vendor who manages the City’s unemployment matters. The City intentionally did not provide additional testimony at the hearing. This is in accordance with the City’s normal practice when a related lawsuit is pending. The decision on the unemployment claim does not affect the City’s position that the decision to terminate the employment of Mr. Fitzgerald was appropriate and justified. The City will continue to focus its efforts on defending against the meritless claims made by Mr. Fitzgerald, and his lawyer, in the proper forum—the court.
(Copyright 2019 WBAP/KLIF 24/7 News. This report contains material from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)