Doing Right By Daddy?

Donald Walsh, the high-ranking paramedic who has been in the midst of a racial brouhaha in the Fire Department, has been fired. He's not too upset about the dismissal considering he wasn't planning on coming back anyway, but he is unhappy about the circumstances in which he was let go.

Walsh feels that he is being "railroaded" by Fire Commissioner Ray Orozco. In 1995, when Orozco's father was Commish, Walsh was a member of an investigative team that ultimately found Orozco Sr. responsible for deaths in the heat wave that occurred that year. Walsh feels that his firing is "political retribution" by Orozco Jr. Walsh states he also blew the whistle on other wrong-doings within the department, thus making people angry -- and making him a target.

Walsh continues to deny the allegations against him, stating that he asked if the paramedic was "back" not if he was "black." The department is firing him on the grounds that he inquired about a paramedic's race and didn't immediately fill the vacancy left when the paramedic in question was allowed to leave to visit his child in the hospital. Walsh plans to retire this week and then file a complaint regarding his dismissal.

With all of the political issues and pointing fingers, we get the feeling that this matter will take some time before it's cleared up. Wethinks (see how we did that?) that it will most likely fade away into the abyss of matters of this nature, bubbling up every once in a while when there is some other issue within the department.

Image via pantagrapher.