A retired Chicago firefighter won a defamation lawsuit against Morning Pride, a manufacturer of protective ensembles. The lawsuit accused a Morning Pride executive of publicly stating that the firefighter took a bribe from a competitor during a bunker-gear bid selection process.

Daniel Herbert, the attorney for the plaintiff, said his client sat on a 2006 evaluation committee for an executive review panel to decide which company would outfit the Chicago Fire Department with bunker gear. Morning Pride, the defendant, bid for the contract but was not chosen. Instead, Lion Apparel secured the $10 million contract.

Subsequently, the lawsuit claimed and showed evidence that the defendant said in a series of publications and at an NFPA meeting that the firefighter was receiving some kind or had receive some consideration from Lion Apparel back in 2006.

“As a result of the comments, my client was passed over for various promotions so he was attempting to receive a monetary award to recoup his lost wages as well as receive a monetary award to clear his reputation for the damage done to his reputation,” Herbert said.

In July, the court ruled that the defendant did conduct a series of behaviors that resulted in defamation and they were defamatory per se statements. The firefighter was awarded $10,000 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages.

“Fire departments need to take allegations such as these seriously, and equally as serious, they need to hold those accountable who make these allegations when it’s determined there is no substance to the allegations,” Herbert said.