A federal appeals court ruled Aug. 13, that Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long broke the law when she fired Fire Chief Michael Washington in 2023 without giving him the pretermination hearing required by the city charter.

The ruling directly affects the leadership of the Cincinnati Fire Department, which operates 26 firehouses covering 52 neighborhoods including Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout through Fire District 2.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a lower court's finding that Washington's due process rights were violated, according to WLWT. The ruling also strips Long of qualified immunity, meaning a jury will now decide whether she violated Washington's constitutional rights and whether she defamed him.

Long fired Washington in 2023, saying multiple women had complained about the workplace culture under his leadership and that he failed to address a hostile work environment, WVXU reported.

Washington and his attorney, Stephen Imm of the Finney Law Firm, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit shortly after the firing, calling it unjust and unlawful. A settlement conference earlier in the case ended at an impasse, Fox 19 reported. The city appealed the lower court's ruling in Washington's favor, but the Sixth Circuit upheld it Thursday.

Imm said in a statement Thursday that he and Washington were thrilled with the outcome. "Cincinnati has never had a Fire Chief more dedicated or more accomplished than Mike Washington," Imm said. "His wrongful termination was an unfortunate stain on this great city. We are looking forward to trial as soon as possible, so that stain can be removed, and so Mike can get back what was so disgracefully taken from him."

The ruling does not order Washington's reinstatement. It clears the path for a jury to weigh his claims.

Frank McKinley currently serves as Cincinnati's fire chief. Long, Mayor Aftab Pureval and the city's legal team had not commented publicly on the ruling as of Aug. 14.

The case now goes to a jury. A trial date is set for Sept. 29 in federal district court.