An Oakland fire captain is suing the city’s Fire Department for discrimination, retaliation and breach of contract, claiming he was denied a promotion because his son is a convicted arsonist.
Capt. Henry Holt, a 27-year veteran of the Oakland Fire Department, said he was in line to become the next acting assistant fire marshal and was offered the position on Dec. 15, 2017. He accepted, but a few weeks later while on vacation with his wife, Holt got a call from the Fire Department’s battalion chief, Eric Logan, who rescinded the job offer, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
When asked why the offer was retracted, Logan responded: because of “what is going on with your son,” the lawsuit states.
Holt’s son, Kasey Cardell Holt, was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in prison for setting the Napa Valley College gymnasium and his coach’s apartment complex on fire in 2015. The Napa Valley Register reported that Holt’s son had a dispute with his coach prior to the fires.
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