An emotional Hillary Sanford received pay and benefits last week that were more than two years overdue when the Brooksville City Council voted to settle her wrongful termination case.
Brooksville Fire Chief David Freda fired Sanford — a captain in the department — in 2016, and an arbitrator later ruled the move unjustified.
Freda argued that Sanford violated his rule about which firefighters should obtain patient refusals, a rule that contradicted the medical director who oversaw her license as an emergency medical technician. The city manager backed Freda’s decision.
Sanford was the department’s first female driver, engineer and captain, and the agency’s public face at events. Her firing prompted a blitz of public support.
The settlement was slated for approval several weeks ago, but was delayed over a social security payment calculation at the last minute. The final amount was $37,204.18, including $16,221.97 in salary, plus benefits and pension payments. The delay frustrated Sanford, firefighter union leaders and city officials.