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Lynn Notice of Determination

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Sarah Lehr

Lansing sent this letter to firefighter Michael Lynn, Jr. on Feb. 17, 2021, informing him was he fired. The Lansing State Journal redacted Lynn's address.

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Lynn Notice of Determination

Uploaded by

Sarah Lehr
3K views3 pages
Lansing sent this letter to firefighter Michael Lynn, Jr. on Feb. 17, 2021, informing him was he fired. The Lansing State Journal redacted Lynn's address.

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Lynn notice of determination

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Lansing sent this letter to firefighter Michael Lynn, Jr. on Feb. 17, 2021, informing him was he fired. The Lansing State Journal redacted Lynn's address.

Copyright:

© All Rights Reserved
Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as pdf or txt
3K views3 pages

Lynn Notice of Determination

Uploaded by

Sarah Lehr
Lansing sent this letter to firefighter Michael Lynn, Jr. on Feb. 17, 2021, informing him was he fired. The Lansing State Journal redacted Lynn's address.

Copyright:

© All Rights Reserved
Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as pdf or txt
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CITY OF LANSING | FIRE DEPARTMENT

ADMINISTRATION
120 E. SHIAWASSEE ST. | LANSING MI 48933
517-483-4200
LANSINGMI.GOV/FIRE

17 February 2021

Michael Lynn
1133 S. Washington Avenue
Apt. 4
Lansing, MI 48910

Determination Letter

Firefighter Lynn,
This letter is being sent to advise you of the results of the pre-determination hearing held on February 12, 2021, involving the charges
provided to you on or about February 4, 2021.
The hearing, again, centered upon your actions as detailed in that notice.
After receiving notice via email on February 4, 2021, you advised on the morning on February 5, 2021 the following:
“I do not believe I was given proper notice to appear for something of this magnitude. I want to be in attendance but I am not
in town and available to attend. What is the procedure for notice of such investigation and allowance of time for me to
response?”
After your request to adjourn the hearing that was afforded to you, I indicated it could be rescheduled for the following week. You
then responded by stating the following:
“Is it possible for me to attend this meeting by zoom? I would rather it proceed today, if I do have the option of attending by
zoom. I will still not be in town next week or the week after, I am out of town for the winter.”
Essentially, you went from wanting the hearing adjourned to give you more time to prepare, to if you don’t have the hearing the way
you desire it, proceed anyway. You also indicated your unavailability, again, for the entire winter to personally appear.
That position was inconsistent with your prior communication of needing more time to prepare. Accordingly, your request to adjourn
the original hearing date was granted. This provided you with the opportunity to present and prepare materials for the rescheduled
hearing on February 12, 2021 and to consider providing any other evidence that you desired up to that date and, in fact, a written
statement was provided.
You were further given the opportunity, even after the hearing, until close of business February 15, 2021 to provide any other
information that you desired the Department to consider before making its decision. No supplemental information was provided.
At the hearing, Union President Dan Komm and Vice President Ralph Ortiz were present. The Union played a one-minute video that
you provided to Union Vice President Ralph Ortiz at the hearing. They were also asked if there were any additional statements or
materials they wanted the Department to consider other than those noted above. They indicated that they did not. At the hearing,
your statement was considered and the statement from Police Chief Daryl Green was also read into the record. A copy of that is
attached.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE, PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENCE!


It should be noted, as was indicated in a previous email to you, that COVID-19 protocols would be enforced during the hearing (i.e.,
social distancing and mandatory face masks) in order to alleviate the concerns you relayed in your email regarding the pandemic in
case you chose to appear.
The above demonstrates you were given the opportunity to present evidence and statements to be considered by the Department
and the Union appeared as your representative at the hearing. Also, the record was kept open for any other materials you desired the
Department to consider before making its final decision. All of the information submitted by you and the Union has been considered
in making the Department’s decision.
The facts surrounding this matter are as follows:
On January 25, 2021, City of Lansing Fire Administration was made aware of possible conduct violations regarding Firefighter Michael
Lynn and began a review and investigation into charges.
While still a City of Lansing Firefighter, you in response to a post by the City of Lansing Police Department, stated the following
concerning City of Lansing Chief of Police Daryl Green: “How about giving Chief Green a call and letting him know how we feel about
his Department’s post about the dog today”.
You then disclosed and published the cell phone number of Chief Green in the post.
By posting the phone number of Chief Green and asking individuals to contact him on his departmental cell phone about an issue you
knew was controversial and at a time emotions were running high in the community, you compromised the operational efficiency of
the Lansing Police Department by causing Chief Green, among other things, to change his phone number at a critical time for the City
of Lansing and the Lansing Police Department.
You also posted Chief Green’s cell phone number at a time when the City and Region is still in a State of Emergency and threats against
public servants are increasing. By posting Chief Green’s cell phone number, you potentially compromised his safety as well as the
safety of the citizens he and the Lansing Police Department swore an oath to protect. As a City of Lansing Firefighter, you too swore
an oath to protect the citizens of Lansing. Your actions on January 25, 2021 failed to live up to that oath and your responsibilities.
Your actions may also have violated the City of Lansing Ethics Policy and/or the City of Lansing Ethics Ordinance.
It is also important to consider the Police Chief’s statement which was read into the record at the hearing. It makes clear the risks that
your actions caused. We live in a time where violent extremists at both ends of the spectrum desire to harm our law enforcement
officers; they are at particular risk in the City of Lansing as many recent events have made clear. The Police Chief outlined the
consequences of your actions much better than I can.

The Lansing Fire Department rule violations are alleged to be the following:
• AOG 108-20 Basic Rules and Regulations :
 B. General Standards of Conduct, ii
 B. General Standards of Conduct, iv
 B. General Standards of Conduct, x
 B. General Standards of Conduct, xiii
 B. General Standards of Conduct, xix
 F. Miscellaneous, iv.
• AOG 102-19 Organizational Mission and Expectations
 Mission and Expectations- VI.A
• AOG 202.2A. Social Media- V, A. 2 & 3

As noted previously, your submission as well as that offered by the Union was taken into account in making the decision here.
You have denied any misconduct. You have denied any responsibility for your actions and claim that all of your actions are protected,
and, in essence, you can disregard your position and responsibilities of a City of Lansing Firefighter to justify any public posting or
action that you engage in, regardless of whether it harms the City or Department or other individuals employed by the City or its Police
Department. Apparently, you believe the rules do not apply to you.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE, PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENCE!


You have every right to engage in protected activity. You have no right to engage in actions which potentially endanger the Chief of
Police, the residents of the City or any other member of the Police or Fire Department or other City employees. You were still a City
of Lansing Firefighter.
Your latest actions were so severe that the Chief of Police had to change his phone number to ensure the Lansing Police Department
continued to operate effectively. This at a time when, like many cities, the City of Lansing is experiencing an increase in violent crime.
Moreover, police officers continue to be threatened in their position and tensions are heightened, both the on the right and the left
and threats to public employees and police officers in particular are everyday occurrences. Violent extremists are abound, recent
events in Lansing made that clear. You simply disregarded all of that.
You let your personal views and actions override your responsibilities to this Department and to the Chief of Police as well as all of its
public safety employees and residents. You knew, or should have known, that this disclosure would have operational consequences.
You are still a first responder. You knew that the Chief’s cellphone is a lifeline to dispatch, officers responding to shootings and even
Fire Department personnel who are actively handling emergency matters. You disregarded all of that for your personal views that you
express and totally disregarded your responsibilities as a City of Lansing Firefighter.
Your primary motivation appears to have been a personal one, but it was also apparently to harass. Your actions compromised the
ability of officers to reach their Chief at a time of need. Chief Green was forced to change his number once he became aware that it
was being used in this matter. It forced him to change a number that not only is a lifeline that day, but a number he has professionally
used for 15 years with fellow officers, professionals and others all over the country. The importance of such a network and being able
to be accessed cannot be minimized. All because of your personal actions, this was not public criticism or discourse, this was a violation
of your responsibility as a Lansing Firefighter.
You have previously been disciplined and were aware that you could not engage in conduct unbecoming a City of Lansing Firefighter.
You have publicly disparaged fellow employees, released unauthorized internal emails and failed to follow orders of supervisors, all of
which took place before this hearing. Your actions on this date were so severe that they potentially compromised the operations of
the City and the safety of its Chief of Police and indicate your violation of your responsibilities as a Firefighter.
You also failed to accept any responsibility for your actions further demonstrating the severity of this misconduct. You have made it
clear that when faced with these types of decisions in the future, you would continue to violate your responsibilities as a City of Lansing
Firefighter; it is apparent that at no time on your own will you stop.
I cannot ignore the risk that you placed the Chief of Police in and your violation of your responsibilities with this Department.
Moreover, rather than accept responsibility, you have indicated that you would engage in the same actions again.
As a result, I have found you guilty of the violations above. Your actions are so severe that they warrant immediate termination. Your
lack of any acceptance of responsibility further supports this decision. I would note it would not be necessary to prove all of the rule
violations outlined, while I believe them to be sustained, because almost any one of them whether taken together or separately would
require your discharge here. The pervasiveness of your actions and the charges against you speak for themselves. This agency cannot
tolerate the type of actions which you have engaged in.
If you have not turned in any Departmental equipment, records, etc., I would direct that you do so immediately.

Sincerely,

Greg K. Martin
Greg K. Martin
Fire Chief

cc: Linda Sanchez-Gazella | Director of Human Resources


Dan Komm | IAFF Local 421 President

SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE, PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENCE!

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