26-04-2025
City of Knoxville files motion to dismiss lawsuit over firefighter pay
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The City of Knoxville has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a group of Knoxville firefighters. The lawsuit claims the new municipal pay scale negatively impacted long-serving department members and left them no recourse to address their grievances.
The motion claims the lawsuit was filed after the statute of limitations had expired, the plaintiffs' claims were without 'any factual support,' and the plaintiffs failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. In response, the firefighters asked the court for 14 additional days to respond to the motion to dismiss. This would give them until May 19, 2025, to respond.
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In 2022, the city proposed a tiered 'Step Pay Plan' for civil servants like police and firefighters. It consisted of 25 steps within each job classification corresponding to years of service, allowing uniformed employees to advance each year throughout their careers. An advisory committee of elected officials and representatives from the police and fire departments, one of whom is a plaintiff in the lawsuit, assisted in its creation before it was ultimately approved by the Knoxville City Council.
The lawsuit claims the Pay Step Plan was not implemented as enacted and the system unfairly locks longer-tenured firefighters into lower classifications and lower wages. According to the complaint, the system largely affects older workers with the rank of Master Firefighter and above. Furthermore, it argues that there is no procedure to redress claims over compensation or misclassifications under the city's grievance process in violation of the constitutional right to due process.
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The plaintiffs request that the city reclassify all impacted firefighters retroactive to July 2022, and they be awarded back pay for all lost wages. They also seek additional damages in an amount to be determined by a jury trial and attorneys' fees.
The new motion comes as one fifth of Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon's proposed budget was designated for police and firefighters. It includes a 4.2% step raise for police officers and firefighters, and $225,000 in targeted salary increases for firefighters.
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