Former Wauk. Fire Chief Jesse Alba submits notice of appeal in case

WAUKESHA (WITI) -- Former Waukesha Fire Chief Jesse Alba has submitted a notice of appeal in a case in which he was demoted from Fire Chief to firefighter.

The Waukesha Board of Police and Fire Commissioners voted 3-1 on October 14th to demote Jesse Alba from the post of fire chief to firefighter.

The decision to demote Alba was detailed in an 18-page document.

The Board tried to answer seven key questions that talked about the board’s ultimate decision to demote. In city documents, the Board of Commissioners said Alba’s actions were “egregious” — and that his actions created an “adversarial workplace situation.”

Alba was accused of violating the anti-harassment policy and the Waukesha Fire Department’s Code of Conduct. He is alleged to have asked a woman in his department to quit because he was attracted to her and it was distracting to him.

On September 12th, Alba told the panel he did not threaten the woman, and said the two had an affair last year while both were married. They broke it off, and she found it too difficult to work together, and Alba said he thought her leaving was a reasonable solution.

That female co-worker ultimately resigned.

In a notice of appeal, Alba "challenges whether there was 'just cause' for his demotion from the position of Fire Chief for the City of Waukesha to firefighter."

Steven Howard (Waukesha Interim Fire Chief)

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Waukesha Fire and Police Commission appointed a new interim fire chief -- Steven Howard, who was appointed as Assistant Chief back in 2001.

Howard served as interim fire chief back in March of 2012 after the Fire Chief stepped down. He held the position until Alba took over in 2013.