A judge has rejected a veteran former Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter/paramedic’s claim that he was wrongfully fired in 2023 on allegations he posted compromising photos of a woman on pornographic websites and vandalized her vehicle.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Curtis Kin denied terminated LAFD employee Marcus Portis’ bid for reinstatement after he was let go in 2023 on the revenge porn and vandalism allegations. The judge heard arguments on April 9, took the issues under submission and issued a final ruling Tuesday.
Portis maintained the allegations were barred by the statute of limitations and that the complaint containing charges was not verified by the fire chief. Portis also contended that the LAFD’s actions were “excessive, unwarranted and unlawful,” according to the petition brought last May 22, which also sought back pay and benefits and a sealing of the disciplinary records separate from his regular personnel file.
But in their court papers, lawyers for the City Attorney’s Office maintained that Portis, now 45, was criminally prosecuted for the alleged revenge porn actions against the woman, who is identified by name in the complaint, but not by her relationship to the fired firefighter.
In addition to allegedly vandalizing the woman’s car, Portis was accused of slashing the tires of vehicles belonging to former relatives, according to the City Attorney’s Office pleadings, which stated that all of the actions occurred in 2020.
“Following a finding of guilt on all three charges by the members of the Board of Rights, (Portis’) employment with the city was terminated effective March 7, 2023, which is the date he was first relieved from duty,” the City Attorney’s Office lawyers further stated.
Then-LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas filed the charges against Portis well within the statutory period and after the Professional Standards Division commander verified the complaint under oath against Portis, and the fire chief confirmed the complaint with his signature and timely transmittal to the board, establishing his verification by oath, according to the City Attorney’s Office.
“There is no language in the (City) Charter section prohibiting the fire chief from initially delegating this authority,” the lawyers from the City Attorney’s Office further argued.