What to Know
- The FDNY’s Chief of Department has been relieved of his duties amid allegations of “inappropriate behavior,” the department said
- Chief James Leonard was removed from the post and “placed on modified assignment," an FDNY spokesman said Thursday
- Leonard was reportedly "butting heads with many in the FDNY, including First Deputy Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh"
The FDNY’s Chief of Department has been relieved of his duties amid allegations of “inappropriate behavior,” the department said.
Chief James Leonard was removed from the post and “placed on modified assignment," an FDNY spokesman said Thursday.
FDNY Chief of Operations John Sudnik will serve as Acting Chief of Department while the city’s Law Department conducts a review “concerning allegations of inappropriate behavior,” the spokesman said.
While the spokesman didn’t elaborate, the Daily News reported that Leonard “was butting heads with many in the FDNY, including First Deputy Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, the lone woman at the top of the roster.”
Sources told the outlet other FDNY chiefs took issue with Leonard’s allegedly “abrasive and aggressive manner.”
Commissioner Daniel Nigro appointed Leonard to the post in 2014, according to his FDNY bio.
Local
He has been with the department since 1979, his bio says.
