Nearly three years after he was abruptly shown the door at City Hall, former Cincinnati Fire Chief Michael Washington was back in federal court Thursday, pressing his claim that the city fired him illegally and torched his reputation in the process.
Washington is suing the City of Cincinnati for wrongful termination, arguing he was removed without the notice or hearing he says the city charter requires. His legal team maintains that the way he was dismissed on March 24, 2023, violated his constitutional rights, and that the case could still wind up in front of a jury depending on what the judges decide next.
Court appearance and arguments
Outside the courthouse, Washington’s attorney, Stephen Imm, reminded reporters that “the lower court had held that my client's constitutional rights were violated when he was fired, without due process,” and said the key issue now is whether the city can escape liability under qualified immunity, according to WLWT.
Washington’s team urged the appellate panel to uphold the lower court’s ruling on due process and allow a jury to decide the remaining factual disputes. City lawyers pushed back, arguing that qualified immunity should shield officials from personal liability. Attorneys on both sides acknowledged that a written opinion from the judges could still be months away.
What the court already found
According to a detailed memorandum from the federal court, available on Justia, a magistrate judge has already granted Washington partial judgment on his pretermination due process claim. The judge concluded the city did not provide an adequate pretermination hearing before removing him as chief.
The same order limited how far Washington can go in seeking recovery. It found that some of his post-termination claims are restricted by immunity doctrines and statutory defenses. The magistrate left several big questions for a future trial, including whether the city actually had “cause” to fire Washington and whether statements made about him were defamatory.
Background
City Manager Sheryl Long fired Washington during a March 24, 2023 meeting, citing complaints about workplace culture and other performance issues. Washington has blasted those accusations as “groundless” and says he was never given a real chance to respond, according to WCPO.
Washington spent roughly 30 years with the Cincinnati Fire Department and was promoted to chief in May 2021. In his lawsuit, he argues that once he had served six months as chief, the city charter gave him for-cause protection and a right to pretermination procedures before he could be removed. Lawyers say the case has unfolded alongside other personnel investigations inside the department, which has complicated broader efforts to reshape the agency’s culture.
What's at stake
If the appellate judges reject the city’s immunity arguments, the unresolved factual disputes would be sent to a jury. That scenario could expose Cincinnati to potential back pay, front pay and punitive damages.
WVXU reported that an August 2025 order in the case identified which issues are slated for trial and laid out the categories of damages Washington seeks. Beyond the money, the outcome could influence how Cincinnati and other cities handle sudden leadership shakeups and internal culture complaints in the future.
Legal implications
The magistrate’s order concluded that the city charter gives the fire chief a property interest in the job after six months of service, which triggers procedural due process protections. That conclusion appears in the court’s memorandum posted on Justia.
At the same time, the order upheld several immunity defenses related to Washington’s post-termination claims and found there may be statutory immunity for some of his defamation allegations. Both sides walked away with partial wins and a list of open questions that can only be resolved if the case reaches a jury. How the appellate court rules on qualified immunity will largely decide whether that happens.
For now, Washington’s lawyers say they are encouraged by the direction of the case, while city officials are sticking to prior statements and declining further comment. A written decision is expected in the coming months, and the legal fight over Washington’s firing is not cooling off anytime soon.
