Attorneys for former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, who was ousted by Mayor Karen Bass in the aftermath of the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire, have notified the judges currently managing the two lawsuits Crowley has filed that there are two issues overlapping both cases.
In her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed Feb. 20, Crowley alleges retaliation in violation of the Labor Code and retaliation in violation of the state Constitution. The suit seeks unspecified damages. Crowley filed a second lawsuit against Bass in June, this time for defamation.
On Tuesday, Crowley’s lawyers filed notices of related cases with Judges Kristin Escalante and Robert Broadbelt. As the presiding judge over the first case that has the lower case number, Escalante will decide whether to formally relate the cases and have both of them before her.
According to Crowley’s attorneys’ court papers, the two issues that overlap are the truth or falsity of Bass’ assertion that Crowley sent home 1,000 firefighters who could have been on duty fighting the fires, and the veracity of Bass’s claim that fire trucks were out of use because Crowley sent firefighters off duty.
“Plaintiff believes that the documents, witnesses and evidence will show that both statements made by Bass and/or the city of LA are demonstrably false and that the falsity of the statements is pertinent to both legal matters she has filed,” according to the Crowley lawyers’ pleadings.
Crowley was removed as LAFD chief by Bass on Feb. 21, 2025, although she is still with the LAFD as an assistant chief in the Valley Bureau.
Bass accused Crowley of leadership failures during the January 2025 windstorm that led to the deadly Palisades Fire, and also accused her of refusing to prepare an after-action report on the firefight. The mayor also accused Crowley of failing to deploy 1,000 firefighters who “could have been on duty” the morning the fire erupted. Bass also contended in interviews that Crowley failed to inform her of the fire danger presented by forecasted Santa Ana winds — despite those warnings being widely publicized by the National Weather Service and in media reports for days in advance.
Crowley’s first lawsuit, however, blames the fire destruction on the mayor and city leaders, saying the city historically failed to properly fund the LAFD, leaving the agency under-manned and backlogged in the maintenance of vehicles and other equipment.
The first suit contends Crowley submitted “numerous detailed reports” annually to city leaders, including Bass complaining of aging infrastructure, shrinking staff and rising emergency calls that demanded attention.
The lawsuit also slams Bass’ decision to leave the country in the days prior to the severe Santa Ana wind event for a diplomatic trip to Ghana — a trip she took without notifying Crowley.
In response to the suit, Bass’ senior adviser Yusef Robb previously issued a statement saying, “There is nothing new here. Ms. Crowley was removed from her post for her failure to deploy in advance and her decision to send 1,000 firefighters home instead of keeping them on duty on the morning the fires broke out. This lawsuit has no merit.”
In the second lawsuit, Crowley alleges Bass defamed her. Crowley cites a May 6 mayoral debate when Bass said, “The primary problem there was that the chief sent home 1,000 firefighters …”
The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres, killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures.