St. Pete fire chief's attorney responds to allegations of bullying and discrimination

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - On Wednesday, attorney Jay Hebert said he remains "steadfast in responding to all of these false allegations" against his client, St. Pete fire chief James Large. 

Mayor Ken Welch placed Large on administrative leave amid accusations of bullying and discrimination, according to an August 5 memo.

As part of a statement sent to FOX 13, Hebert included a link to a city council meeting on August 15, 2019, where he said Large had one interaction "that was alleged to be contentious."

A fire department employee was fielding questions from city council members on the priority dispatch system, where 911 telecommunicators assess each call and then decide how many units to send.

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"I just believe that when a St. Pete resident calls 911, they expect to see a St. Pete firefighter show up," councilmember Brandi Gabbard said during the meeting. "And so I have great concern about the slippery slope that I’m worried that we’re on."

The priority dispatch system has been in place for a while to some degree. 

Still, council members were discussing the wording in a new agreement that would, among many things, address who has control over future decisions regarding the system. 

In a statement, Hebert said Gabbard "was being contentious" with the firefighter presenting at that meeting, so the chief "felt it necessary to step in and speak."

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A back-and-forth conversation during the 2019 meeting went like this:

Large: I would like to ask you: We use low priority dispatch now in certain scenarios and everything. How many of those people that have been affected by low priority dispatch have reached out to you?

Gabbard: This isn’t a gotcha so.

Large: I’m not trying to be a gotcha. You’re asking a question. I’m giving you a roundabout answer.

Gabbard: Fair enough. I have not had anyone reach out.

The chief has asked to meet with Gabbard, who has "always refused," Hebert said Wednesday.

According to The Tampa Bay Times, Gabbard said she’s experienced "disrespect, bullying, and attempts at intimidation" in her interactions with Large. 

Gabbard has not yet responded to our requests for comment.

Last week, councilmember Richie Floyd called for a change in leadership at the fire department in several posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.