Former Cincinnati Fire Chief Michael Washington landed a major legal victory last week.

After his 2023 firing, he filed a wrongful termination suit against the city, the mayor and the city manager.

When the city's attorneys heard of Manager Sheryl Long's intent to fire Washington, they told her he would "would need a hearing," WXIX reported, adding that he never got one.

During recent depositions, Long explained: “Because that was my choice to not."

In a 2-1 ruling last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled Long was not entitled to qualified immunity.

The court found Washington was terminated without the pretermination hearing he was entitled to under the city charter. A jury will now get the chance to decide if Long violated Washington's due process rights and defamed him.

Prior to his termination, neither the mayor nor the city manager raised any concerns about how Washington was leading the department, WLWT reported, referring to the suit. 

"It's like they said strike three before he had strikes one or two," Washington's attorney Stephen Imm said when the suit was filed.

After the judges' decision last week, Imm wrote in a statement: “We could not be more pleased with the decision we received today from the court of appeals. Cincinnati has never had a Fire Chief more dedicated or more accomplished than Mike Washington. His wrongful termination was an unfortunate stain on this great city. We are looking forward to trial as soon as possible, so that stain can be removed, and so Mike can get back what was so disgracefully taken from him."