Former Naples Fire Chief Steve McInerny has filed a lawsuit over his firing last year, alleging that city and union leaders "concocted a scheme" to bring him down.
He is demanding a jury trial and seeking damages.
His long list of defendants includes former Naples Mayor John Sorey, current and former City Council leaders, Naples firefighters and members of their union Local 2174, along with the city's TV channel and the city.
The lawsuit alleges defendants used the media and the Public Records Act to "widely distribute their defamatory information," hurting McInerny's "good professional reputation" and creating "political pressure on the city manager" to fire him.