The state Civil Service Commission has overturned the termination of a Rockland firefighter, but the town disagrees with the decision.
Lieutenant Craig Erickson had his employment terminated with the town in 2017. He was first hired as a full-time firefighter in 1986 and was the only African-American member of the department.
In a decision released by the Civil Service Commission, his appeal was allowed, but the decision found that he had worked for two other employers while out on sick leave for the fire department. The decision called for Erickson to be demoted to the rank of firefighter and be suspended for 90 days.
According to the Commission, Erickson was out on medical leave in 2017 while receiving treatment for PTSD. He did not notify the fire department that he had been medically cleared and deployed for a federal government training program that April.
An investigation found he also collected sick leave while working for a private rescue company in March of 2017.
Town Counsel John Clifford called the Commission’s decision ‘disappointing’, saying town will likely be forced to incur the cost of another unlawful decision.
“The Town should not have to suffer the employment of an employee that willfully and intentionally defrauded the Town while on paid sick leave and repeatedly disobeyed orders,” Clifford said in a statement. “The legal standard for discipline requires the Commission to determine “…whether the employee has been guilty of substantial misconduct which adversely affects the public interest…” The Town believes that payroll fraud, insubordination and untruthfulness, each of which Mr. Erickson was found to have committed, adversely affects the public interest of the citizens of Rockland.”
WATD reached out to Erickson for comment.
