Former Southern California Fire Official Gets $704K in Age Discrimination Suit

A jury has awarded $704,000 to a former division chief for the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District who alleged in a lawsuit he was fired due to his age.

The Sun newspaper reported that the 62-year-old George Corley was awarded $544,000 for past lost wages and $160,000 for future lost wages.

The jury decided that Corley’s age was a “substantial motivating reason” for his termination.

Corley, now the chief of the Running Springs Fire Department, was fired in 2012 after serving eight years with the fire district. He was 58 years old at the time. He previously served with the U.S. Forest Service and CalFire.

County officials declined to comment on the verdict.