Documents Detail Probe that Led to Cincinnati Assistant Fire Chief's Termination
Officials released documents related to the termination of a veteran Cincinnati assistant fire chief.
Sherman Smith, a 31-year member of the Cincinnati Fire Department, was terminated in November after allegations of sharing confidential documents.
The documents showed that Smith forwarded internal emails with former Fire Chief Michael Washington, according to WLWT.com.
Washington was terminated early in 2023 and filed a wrongful termination against the city.
The documents include an internal interview with Smith, who was questioned about allegedly sharing confidential information with individuals outside the department, such as former Fire Chief Michael Washington, who is currently suing the city for wrongful termination.
"I've completely lost confidence in the city's ability to do a non-biased investigation of something after this experience," said Smith, after an internal review was conducted over the summer.
Sherman told investigators that he did blind carbon copy Washington on the emails, because "I'd bounce a lot of things off of him."
Among the details shared by Smith were an after-action report and a human resources investigation.
According to the investigation, current Fire Chief Frank McKinely accused Smith of being a "mole" while sharing details on Facebook.
About the Author
Peter Matthews
Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood Landing, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.