A veteran Chattanooga firefighter has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court, claiming he has been the victim of discrimination since Wendell Rowe became fire chief.
Craig W. Barber is seeking $400,000 compensatory damages and $600,000 punitive damages in the complaint filed against the city, the city fire department, Chief Rowe and Mayor Ron Littlefield.
He is acting as his own attorney.
The suit says he has been with the fire department since July 25, 1980, and that discrimination against him began when Chief Rowe started his administration.
It says he was denied promotions for positions "that were offered to another, or other non-minority."
The suit says a full-scale investigation was launched "into a disciplinary matter involving the plaintiff and an insubordinate officer who refused instruction from plaintiff due to plaintiff's race."
It says the probe and his suspension caused him embarrassment and humiliation.