ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch announced on Wednesday that the city's fire chief is reinstated, effective Thursday, after an investigation into allegations of discrimination in an employee survey.
In a video message, Mayor Welch said the review found no one with firsthand knowledge or evidence of racial, homophobic, or sexist comments from Chief Jim Large.
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Welch said a review of records found only one complaint filed to HR against Large during his 17 years as chief, which was found to be unsubstantiated.
Last week, Large held a press conference with his attorney where he refuted the allegations against him.
“I remain committed to this city and to protecting it. This is where I’ve spent most of my life. I love this city, but it’s necessary for my family and I to defend ourselves,” he said.
In the anonymous employee survey, dozens of responses called out the lack of diversity in the department. Other responses criticized the treatment of minorities, some alleged discrimination against people with disabilities, and some expressed concern about how people are promoted within the department.
During last week's press conference, Large's attorney, Jay Hebert, acknowledged that there's room for growth at the department and said Large "wants to be part of the solution, not part of the problem."
And it's an acknowledgment that the President of the St. Petersburg Branch of the NAACP, Esther Matthews, welcomes.
"For me, when I hear someone saying and owning that they can do better, I'm happy to hear that. But then I say that we will be watching with a very close ear and very loud voice to ensure that they do, in fact, do better," she said.
In Wednesday's video message, Welch said though there are no formal substantiated complaints against Large, the city would investigate any allegations if a complaint is filed.
Welch said the fire department will work with the city's incoming chief equity officer, the St. Petersburg Branch of the NAACP, and others to create a Fire Department Action Plan for inclusive progress.
Wednesday, ABC Action News also caught up with another attorney who helped work on the chief's case. He told us that Chief Large is grateful to be moving forward.
"Chief Large is very excited, and he's looking forward to getting back to the position he was once in. But he's also excited to turn a page and to actually make some progress to continue the transparency going forward with his department," said Andrew Hebert.
