Deputy marshal sues Nashville Fire Department

Deputy Fire Marshal Maggie Lawrence, a 30-year veteran of the Nashville Fire Department, filed a lawsuit against Metro Friday alleging hiring discrimination and workplace retaliation. According to the suit filed in U.S. District Court, despite a spotless professional record and receiving explicit preparation for the role of fire marshal by a superior, Lawrence was passed over by Fire Chief William Swann, who instead promoted Lawrence Hutchison Jr. in January 2021.

“As Ms. Lawrence was preparing to become Nashville Fire Department’s first female Fire Marshal, the Department’s Chief took drastic measures to ensure that the 'good ole boys club' stayed in place,” Lawrence alleges in her complaint. “He reassigned a significantly younger, less experienced male employee from another department to the Fire Marshal’s Office, and instructed Ms. Lawrence and her boss to train him to take over.”