A St. Johns County jury sided with a terminated former St. Johns County fire chief Wednesday after a three-day trial, court papers state.
Scott Bullard was awarded $500,000 after the panel found that his ouster breached his contractual rights.
According to Bullard, he resigned from his position in October 2023 after being advised to do so by county administration.
He asked to revert to his former position but had that request denied, later asserting that his removal was politically motivated.
“I am forced to resign from this position, having done nothing to cause detriment to the fire department of the county,” Bullard wrote in his original resignation letter.
In providing some of the grounds for his termination, the county said Bullard wrongfully ended the use of vacation time after sick time ran out and opted for unsafe uniforms. He asserted that those charges were pretextual.
Bullard filed a civil action against the county in November 2023, and the case went to trial this week.
Jurors concluded that the county breached a collective bargaining agreement by not allowing him to return to his former post and that he suffered financially as a result.
The county will now compensate Bullard with a $500,000 settlement, according to the verdict sheet.
This is s developing story, check back for updates.
