A judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by four Virginia Beach firefighters over a 2017 test-cheating scandal, saying he didn't believe he had the authority to rule on it.
While Circuit Judge James Lewis told the firefighters he doesn't condone cheating, he agreed with attorneys for the city that he doesn't have jurisdiction in the case, said Andrea Ruege, an attorney for the firefighters.
Ruege and Bill Bailey, president of the Virginia Beach Professional Firefighters Association, said the group will now look into what appeal options they might have.
Attorneys for the city don't believe they have any. City and state code both reflect that the grievance process ends with the city manager, as it did in this case, said Deputy City Attorney Christopher Boynton.
"They've had their due process," Boynton said. "There is no remedy in the code for them to take this any further."