When Corey Turner started working for the Cedar Mountain Service District in southern Utah, the firefighter’s performance and leadership skills seemingly put him on the fast track to success.

He moved from part-time to full-time status five months after he was hired in February 2021, and the district in Kane County quickly promoted him to the rank of captain.

But his career was derailed, Turner claims in a federal lawsuit, after members of the fire district’s board pressured a succession of chiefs to fire him because of the color of his skin.

Turner, who is Black, was fired in May 2023 by Cedar Mountain Fire Chief Forrest Barnard, according to a discrimination lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in September against the fire district, current and former board members, and Barnard.

The pressure campaign against him started, according to the lawsuit, after video of a heated verbal altercation between Turner, who was in his fire district uniform, and another man was sent to members of the fire district’s board, including Suzy Polnisch and Kane County Commissioner Wade Heaton.

After Polnisch saw the video, she told then-Fire Chief Chris Rieffer to fire Turner “because all she saw on the video was an ‘angry black man’ and [she] stated that Mr. Turner ‘did not represent the District,’” the lawsuit said.

Turner, in an interview with The Tribune, said that Rieffer told him about the exchange with Polnisch. Neither Heaton nor Rieffer responded to numerous requests for comment.

Kristin VanOrman, attorney for the defendants in the lawsuit, disputes the allegations, saying in a statement that “none of the allegations are true [and] are categorically denied by my clients.”

VanOrman and district officials note that the state Labor Commission’s investigation of Turner’s complaint uncovered no wrongdoing and that the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission upheld that ruling last August. Turner counters the commission nearly always sides against complainants, which is why he and his attorney withheld information.

Turner, who is currently employed with Santa Clara-Ivins Fire & Rescue, is seeking to recoup the legal costs he has incurred from filing the lawsuit and to recover the wages and other benefits he lost as a result of his firing. He is also seeking punitive and compensatory damages against the defendants.

The Cedar Mountain Service District covers 94 square miles of federal, state and private land straddling state Route 14 from the Iron County line to US 89.

For Heaton and Barnard, the lawsuit adds to their legal woes. Both men were indicted last August in connection with the commissioner’s ownership of Color Country Outfitters guiding service, where Barnard was employed as a hunting guide. Prosecutors allege the pair were involved in a pattern of illegally baiting deer for hunting purposes.

Fire chief carousel

Rieffer, Cedar Mountain’s then-fire chief, rebuffed Polnisch’s initial demand to fire Turner, according to the lawsuit. Instead, Turner underwent a “coaching session” as part of the fire department’s disciplinary procedures in which he acknowledged he made mistakes during the verbal altercation and stated that it would not happen again. Moreover, following the incident, Turner was promoted to captain, the lawsuit said.

Rieffer’s refusal to get rid of Turner prompted the board to buy out the fire chief’s contract, according to the lawsuit. The board appointed Chad Poulsen as fire Chief in April 2022.

But Poulsen’s tenure as chief lasted less than a year, and he was fired in January of 2023, according to the lawsuit.

In an interview with The Tribune, Poulsen said Polnisch became increasingly angry and frustrated over the fact Turner remained on the job.

Poulsen said the board was “head hunting,” trying to get him to fire Turner but added the fire captain was an excellent officer and a natural leader. Rather than dismiss Turner, Poulsen said he told the board that the fire captain was not in the disciplinary process and was doing a good job.

“I spent my whole time as chief trying to protect Turner,” Poulsen said. “I was obviously willing to die on that hill, which was what I ended up doing.”

Three people were selected as finalists for the opening, according to the lawsuit: Barnard, Deputy Chief Holli Wright, and Turner.

During the finalist interview, Polnisch told Turner, “You clean up well. I didn’t know someone like you was this educated and articulate,” according to the lawsuit.

The board hired Barnard as the district’s new fire chief in March 2023, Turner openly complained that the new chief was hired due to his relationship with Heaton and to accuse board members of “cronyism.” His complaints were likely relayed to the board, Turner claimed in the lawsuit.

On May 1, 2023, the lawsuit states, Barnard was talking to Deputy Chief Travis Flygare when the chief received two phone calls, one from Polnisch and another from district counsel Lowry Snow, advising him to fire Turner. Barnard placed the calls on speaker phone while walking, which allowed Flygare to overhear the conversations.

“After the phone calls, Flygare heard Barnard say ‘I can’t wait to fire this n - - - - -,’” according to the lawsuit.

On May 2, Barnard met with Turner and fired him, according to the lawsuit. In September that same year, Turner filed a complaint with the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division, alleging he had been subject to retaliation and racial discrimination.

‘An attempt to cover up’

According to the lawsuit, Barnard instructed two deputy chiefs, Wright and Flygare, in November 2023 to write letters defending Barnard and describing Turner’s “prior alleged misconduct,” although it does not detail what those allegations were.

But in April 2024, Wright wrote in a separate letter that she felt forced to write the letter attacking Turner due to fear of losing her job, the lawsuit said.

“Forcing us to write these statements was done in an attempt to cover up Chief Barnards [sic] and the boards [sic] obvious, and by definition, discriminatory and inappropriate termination of Captain Turner,” she wrote, according to the lawsuit. “I am not and never was in agreement with Captain Turners [sic] inappropriate termination and was threatened to give the documents that were turned in.”

Flygare also drafted an email in April, according to the lawsuit, that said he overheard Barnard use the racial slur when talking about firing Turner. It’s not clear who Flygare’s email was sent to, or if it was ever sent.

Turner declined to say how he secured the email and letter and to whom they were addressed.

Flygare and Wright, who still work for the district but have been demoted from deputy fire chiefs to engineers according to the lawsuit, declined to comment on Turner’s assertions. Polnisch and Barnard declined interviews but provided The Tribune with written statements.

Polnisch defended Turner’s dismissal and lauded Barnard for his leadership.

“He has brought a new level of professionalism and discipline to the department,” Polnisch stated via email. “He is a man of integrity who demonstrates a tireless commitment to the fire service, our district, and his staff. We are very fortunate to have him as our fire chief.”

Barnard also defended his integrity.

“It is unfortunate that in today’s society a person can fabricate whatever story they want for their own agenda and benefit,” he wrote. “Leaving the innocent in a place where they must defend the truth, and disprove lies.”

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