WARREN Former assistant fire chief files lawsuit over dismissal

The safety-service director said he had not talked to the assistant chief for several months.
WARREN -- Fired assistant fire chief Terry Brannon is suing to get his job back.
The suit, filed Monday in Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas, contends he was fired "because he filed a workers' comp claim," said Brannon's lawyer, Bruce W. Bennett.
Brannon, a 20-year veteran, was fired May 11 after city officials found him guilty of several administrative charges of gross misconduct of duty.
He had been on medical leave since being injured on the job in December 1999.
Safety-service director Fred Harris said Tuesday he had not seen the lawsuit, but that Brannon's firing was set in motion by a workers' compensation claim that is in dispute.
No contact: Harris said he hasn't had any contact with Brannon in several months.
The city has sent Brannon several letters by regular and certified mail, but he refuses to accept them.
"I've set several predisciplinary hearings for him and he hasn't showed," Harris said.
At a predisciplinary meeting the day before Brannon was fired, city officials found him guilty of inefficiency, insubordination and conduct unbecoming an officer in incidents including failing to provide the city with a signed medical release, failing to complete an independent medical examination, failing to accept nine certified letters from the city and failing to properly communicate with the safety-service director.
According to documents in Brannon's personnel file, he was not at that meeting.