Central Fire District agreed to pay nearly $1 million in a civil suit brought by an employee. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local file)
LIVE OAK >> After more than a year in court, Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to a firefighter who alleged that his coworkers attacked him and district leaders retaliated against him for speaking up about unfair treatment.
The settlement comes as the district seeks voter approval for $221 million in bonds for facilities and equipment with Measure R in the Nov. 5 election with. Central Fire has a roughly $50 million annual budget.
In July 2023, Central Fire firefighter and paramedic Michael Botill sued Central Fire, Central Fire Capt. Daniel “DanJo” Jordan and firefighter Forrest Gleitsman in Santa Cruz County Superior Court. Botill alleged that the two coworkers had assaulted him, and that Central Fire had tacitly approved the attacks by not disciplining the employees.
“This lawsuit was about holding those responsible accountable for their actions, which ultimately ended my career and severely impacted my life,” Botill wrote in a statement. “I believe in transparency and feel it’s important for these incidents to come to light so others don’t have to endure similar experiences.”
Workplace conflicts between Botill, Jordan and Gleitsman came to a boil in October 2022 outside a work event at a restaurant near the Capitola Esplanade. A fight broke out, and Capitola Police body camera footage shows Jordan barefoot with a bloodied nose and ears, and Gleitsman with a ripped shirt.
“It’s just a weird work thing, we got fired up,” Gleitsman told Capitola police officers that night. “We’re just a bunch of a**holes who started drinking,” Jordan said in the video. “He’s basically a giant p****, so we have let him know that multiple times,” Jordan said of Botill.
The suit was settled for $965,000, according to the settlement agreement. Central Fire also agreed to request that the state pension agency CalPERS grant Botill retirement pay and benefits.
Central Fire District leaders wrote in court documents that the district “took reasonable steps to prevent and correct alleged workplace harassment” and that Botill “unreasonably failed to use the preventative and corrective measures that [Central Fire] provided.”
Samantha Zutler, Central Fire’s general counsel, said the fire district “has no comment on the lawsuit.” Central Fire Chief Jason Nee, Jordan and Gleitsman did not respond to Santa Cruz Local’s requests for comment.
Workplace conflict
Since Botill was hired in 2016, Jordan often called Botill derogatory names, Botill wrote in court documents. Jordan slapped Botill in October 2020 at a work event and threatened him with violence at a 2021 work event, according to the complaint.
In August 2022, Botill filed a complaint with fire district leaders against a proposed district policy that would bar employees who took sick leave from working overtime.
Botill sometimes took sick leave for PTSD treatment, and took family leave after the birth of his children, he said in an interview. In text messages included in court documents, Jordan told a district employee that Botill was trying to “work less and get more.”
After Botill’s complaint, Jordan called him and threatened “violence and retaliation,” Botill wrote. The next day, Botill submitted a second complaint, this time about Jordan.
Jordan did not face discipline from district leaders, Botill wrote.
Jordan and Gleitsman remain Central Fire employees and did not respond to requests for comment.
Allegations of violence
The conflict between Jordan and Botill escalated in October 2022 after a work event. Botill alleged in his complaint that Jordan and Gleitsman beat him in a parking lot outside a Capitola restaurant. The injuries from the fight have caused lasting medical issues, he wrote.
In court documents, Jordan wrote that he had acted in self-defense and denied that he had injured Botill.
Capitola Police body camera footage from October 2022 shows Central Fire Capt. Daniel Jordan, right, and firefighter Forrest Gleitsman after a fight with Michael Botill outside a Capitola restaurant. (Capitola Police)
Gleitsman counter-sued Botill in October 2023, and alleged that Botill tried to goad Jordan into fighting. When Gleitsman intervened, Botill tackled and choked him, Gleitsman wrote. After Gleitsman punched Botill in self defense, Botill yelled threats, he wrote.
Botill wrote in court documents that he had not choked Gleitsman, and had acted only in self defense.
Gleitsman and Jordan told Capitola Police that Botill had started the fight by punching Gleitsman, according to body camera footage from the night of the fight. A few minutes later, Jordan said Botill “was so pissed off, and I was like f*** it, let’s just beat the guy up.”
Gleitsman told officers Botill had “said he was going to kill me.” Gleitsman, Jordan and Botill did not press charges.
The day after the October 2022 fight, Nee, the Central Fire chief, told Botill he could try to schedule himself on different shifts than Jordan and Gleitsman, but otherwise would have to work with them or take time off, Botill wrote in court documents. Jordan and Gleitsman were not punished, Botill wrote.
Using physical violence to resolve workplace issues is part of “an unwritten policy” of Central Fire District, he wrote.
The settlement
In the settlement, Botill, Central Fire, Jordan and Gleitsman did not admit to any wrongdoing. Central Fire agreed to pay Botill $965,000.
The district also agreed to reinstate 552 hours of sick leave and vacation time Botill had used after the fight,and pay him out for those hours when his employment with the district ends.
“I am grateful that my voice was heard through the legal process, and while the outcome cannot undo the harm done, it does provide some resolution,” Botill wrote in a statement. “At this point, I am focusing on moving forward and rebuilding my life.”
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Jesse Kathan is a staff reporter for Santa Cruz Local through the California Local News Fellowship. They hold a master's degree in science communications from UC Santa Cruz.