St. Lucie County fire district board debates hazing allegations and leadership suspension

Jade JarvisST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. —

The St. Lucie County Fire District board met today to discuss hazing allegations, the termination of three firefighters, and the suspension of two others during a contentious meeting.

Two of the terminated firefighters, Chris Baldwin and Jordon Hutchinson, presented their case, accusing the fire chief and the district’s attorney of retaliation.

After more than two hours of discussion, commissioners called a motion to suspend the fire chief and the district attorney. The motion failed, with four out of six commissioners voting against it.

The situation stems from video footage released by the fire district showing firefighters administering electric shocks to newer employees, which was described as hazing.

Hutchinson and Baldwin denied the allegations, saying, “It was not hazing, but it was rather about inclusion, and that no one was hurt or coerced to participate.”

Commissioners approved a motion to continue the discussion at their next meeting in September.

Stay up to date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News