BSO justified in workplace violence firing, arbitrator rules

April 29--The Broward Sheriff's Office was justified in firing an employee accusing of threatening to kill other BSO employees, an arbitrator ruled.

Zach Flamberg, an information technology employee and gun enthusiast, was fired a year ago after he was accused of making threatening comments about his co-workers.

Flamberg accidentally brought a strip of bullets into the office, and he was accused of joking to a co-worker that one of the bullets was engraved with the name of then-executive officer Donald Prichard.

Though co-workers gave conflicting statements during the BSO investigation, Flamberg also was accused of saying, four days after the movie theater mass-shooting in Aurora, Colo., that the shooter "got it wrong" but he was going to "get it right," and that he had a list of 70 people at BSO he wanted to kill.

Flamberg appealed his termination, but in binding arbitration, Phyllis Almenoff said she didn't believe his story.

"The BSO's version of events is credible," Almenoff's ruling says. "Zachary Flamberg's version of events is not credible."

Almenoff said Flamberg's threats were particularly frightening because he "owns an arsenal of firearms and ammunition, including assault weapons and pistols," and is "capable of carrying out his threats."

Flamberg, 58, has terminal cancer and is without health insurance after the termination, which he likened to a death sentence. He has a pending federal lawsuit against BSO for the termination, but said Tuesday that he can no longer afford to pursue it. He said he was falsely accused.

"I did my best for the community, which is why I joined BSO," Flamberg said, "and if this my fate, then this is my fate. But I stand by my word, and I'm sorry I'm not going to work anymore with some really great people. ... I knew I was going to die, but I didn't want to go to my grave with someone destroying my reputation."

bwallman@tribune.com or 954-356-4541

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