September 14th Deadline Came and Went
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Mayor Slay: George will be punished
By Jake Wagman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/14/2007
ST. LOUIS — Disciplinary proceedings will begin against Fire Chief Sherman George after he missed a deadline to end his hold on promotions, the mayor's office said this afternoon.
Under the city's civil service code, George can be suspended, demoted or even fired for disobeying a “direct order” to promote 28 firefighters.
The announcement from the mayor's office came after last-minute negotiations to reach a compromise failed. On Friday, an attorney for George filed an emergency order to delay the ultimatum. That, too, was rejected.
Today's action is the culmination of years of tension between George and Mayor Francis Slay, as well as the climax of a long battle over firefighter promotions.
City regulations require that, before an employee can be suspended or demoted, they must be notified of the charges against them and be given an opportunity to argue their case. If George were to be fired, the city would first have to hold a “pretermination review.”
Ed Rhode, a spokesman for the mayor, said that the disciplinary process would begin “no sooner” than next week.
Rhode declined to say specifically what discipline would be meted out to George, or who will take the helm of the department if George is relieved of command.
By Jake Wagman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/14/2007
ST. LOUIS — Disciplinary proceedings will begin against Fire Chief Sherman George after he missed a deadline to end his hold on promotions, the mayor's office said this afternoon.
Under the city's civil service code, George can be suspended, demoted or even fired for disobeying a “direct order” to promote 28 firefighters.
The announcement from the mayor's office came after last-minute negotiations to reach a compromise failed. On Friday, an attorney for George filed an emergency order to delay the ultimatum. That, too, was rejected.
Today's action is the culmination of years of tension between George and Mayor Francis Slay, as well as the climax of a long battle over firefighter promotions.
City regulations require that, before an employee can be suspended or demoted, they must be notified of the charges against them and be given an opportunity to argue their case. If George were to be fired, the city would first have to hold a “pretermination review.”
Ed Rhode, a spokesman for the mayor, said that the disciplinary process would begin “no sooner” than next week.
Rhode declined to say specifically what discipline would be meted out to George, or who will take the helm of the department if George is relieved of command.
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For more background info on this story, see the previous blog entry
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