ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has obtained a copy of the internal investigation into a book controversy that led to the firing of Atlanta’s fire chief.
[ The firing stems from Kelvin Cochran’s book that criticizes homosexuality. ]
The self-published 2013 book is called "Who Told You You Are Naked?"
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he fired Cochran last week, not for his beliefs, but for poor judgment.
A report Channel 2 requested contradicts some of what the chief initially said about the book.
Cochran said he gave his book to nine members of his command staff. But after others came forward, he admitted he passed out copies to three people who didn't ask for it.
Channel 2 Action News was first to report in November that the city suspended Cochran over the book.
Channel 2's Dave Huddleston broke the news of the chief's termination on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.
Cochran told Huddleston outside his former headquarters that he gave the mayor a copy of the book a year ago.
Sources in City Hall told Huddleston on Monday that Cochran was going to be fired, not for writing the book, but not going through proper channels to do it in the first place.
"Not one time during the course of preparing this book did the chief ever think it was appropriate to have a conversation with me," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
Reed, surrounded by members of his administration, including city officials some who are part of the LGBT community, said he fired Cochran for bad judgment, not for writing the book which calls homosexuality a perversion.
"Let's stop trying to make this about religious freedom, when it's about making sure we have an environment in government where everyone can come to work," Reed said.
After he was terminated, Cochran told reporters he received permission from the city's ethics department to write the book and in fact he sent a copy to the mayor's office, giving it to the mayor's assistant.