Fort Lauderdale’s first gay police chief fired over ‘minority-first’ hiring policy, report says

Larry Scirotto, Fort Lauderdale’s first gay police chief, has been fired after just six months in the role over his approach to hiring and promoting staff.

The 48-year-old was sacked by City Manager Chris Lagerbloom on 3 March, WTVJ reported.

He was let go after an investigation into how he made hiring and promotion decisions concluded that he had a minority-first approach.

Towards the end of 2021, four officers – three white and one Hispanic – filed EEOC complaints after a group of minority employees were given promotions by Scirotto.

“Many believed that Chief Scirotto made clear his intention to promote, based on race, gender, or sexual orientation,” Lagerbloom stated.

The probe into the chief’s hiring practices stated that Scirotto once called a wall of photos in a conference room “too white” and said, “I’m gonna change that.”

On a separate occasion he asked, “which one is blacker?” in reference to people he was considering for promotions.

He claimed to “consider diversity at every opportunity,” the report added.

“There’s everything we have to do in the proper way. Again, I go back to the fact that we support a very diverse organisation,” Lagerbloom continued. “We serve a very diverse community and that’s important. There are just certain ways that you can do that and do it legally, and other ways that meet that muster.”

Scirotto’s hiring made history for the Fort Lauderdale police force, as he was the first openly gay chief to take on the role.

At the time of his appointment, he said: “I want a great relationship with people in our community who haven’t had access in the past.”

He told CNN that the allegations against him were “vague on the facts” as he promoted 15 people from August to November, with six of these being ethnic or gender minorities.

“None of them were promoted because they were in a protected class,” Scirotto explained. “They were promoted because they were the best candidates.”

He is now planning on filing a wrongful termination lawsuit against Fort Lauderdale and said he has hired a legal team.

Scirotto concluded: “If promoting diversity is the hill I’m going to die on, I will sleep well tonight.

“I won’t allow them to tarnish my reputation. I won’t allow them to tarnish the work that I’ve done in the 24 years I’ve been in this profession.”

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