The Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) is asking a state court to block an attempt by a fired firefighter who leads the union representing workers at T.F. Green International Airport to get his job back — a move that appeared to catch him by surprise.
Airport officials filed a lawsuit against Steven Parent on Wednesday in Providence County Superior Court, citing allegations he trespassed into the T.F. Green fire station on Nov. 1, 2024, four days after being fired.
Parent, who worked at T.F. Green for more than a decade, has been president of Local 2873 of RI Council 94 for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) since 2019. The union represents airport police officers, firefighters, airfield maintenance, building maintenance, operations and clerical staff.
An arbitration hearing on an unfair labor practice Parent filed against RIAC is scheduled for some time in August after being delayed twice. He is seeking reinstatement as a fire lieutenant after being fired on Oct. 28 after airport officials claimed he discouraged people from applying for jobs at the Warwick airport while benefiting from overtime pay caused by ongoing vacancies. Upon his termination, airport officials immediately revoked Parent’s security credentials and informed him he was no longer permitted in secure areas of the airport.
The legal action was news to Parent when reached for comment by phone Wednesday morning. He said he had yet to be served any papers.
“They’re suing me?” he said. “I was not aware of any of this — I was just there Monday.”
RIAC claims Parent never returned his deactivated badge as required under the federal government’s Airport Security Program.
Four days after his firing, Parent entered the airport’s fire station — which RIAC claims is a secured area — without an escort.
“Mr. Parent’s unauthorized access caused alarm among airport employees,” the lawsuit claims.
The fire station is located opposite the airfield, and has a gated entrance along Cedar Swamp Road in Warwick near Winslow Park.
According to airport officials, Parent used an intercom to ask the on-duty firefighter — one of his former subordinates to open the gate remotely for him, the lawsuit states. Parent was reportedly confronted by the airport’s deputy fire chief and told to leave, but Parent allegedly flipped him off.
Parent denied his interaction was uncivil and said he had called the station ahead of his arrival.
“I had no issue with the deputy chief — I wasn’t being disciplined for anything at the fire station,” Parent said.
Deputy Fire Chief Justin Vail deferred comment to RIAC.
Airport officials said Parent took work material without authorization following his firing. Parent said he retrieved a copy of the union’s contract. At the time union officials and RIAC were in the midst of negotiating a new contract for airport workers, which was eventually ratified in March 2025.
“RIAC’s filing speaks for itself,” Duc Nguyen, the airport’s senior vice president of operations, said in a statement. “This action is to confirm RIAC’s authority to determine eligibility for security credentials consistent with federal requirements and its duty to ensure the safety and security of the airport and traveling public.”
Council 94 President Michael McDonald said he too was caught by surprise by the filing, but that legal action was not totally unexpected. He called the lawsuit a last resort by airport officials to avoid arbitration with Parent over an unfair labor practice, which is scheduled to happen some time in August.
“They’re trying to avoid answering for what they’ve done,” McDonald said in an interview.
Parent said arbitration was first scheduled for February, but was delayed to June and is now pushed to August.
They’re suing me? I was not aware of any of this — I was just there Monday.
But a statement issued by RIAC Wednesday claims the arbitration process is limited to addressing whether Parent was wrongfully terminated, not to resolve any legal nuances. The lawsuit argues that even if Parent were reinstated, his alleged security breach would prevent him from regaining clearance, making him ineligible to serve at the fire station.
If the court blocks Parent’s reinstatement, RIAC argues that airport officials can move forward with filling his vacant lieutenant position. The position is not posted on RIAC’s job portal. But Parent said two candidates have already applied and recently took written tests for the role — tests he observed.
“I pretty much encouraged everyone there to apply,” he said.
RIAC is asking the court to uphold the officials’ decision to revoke Parent’s credentials.
McDonald said the union will continue to fight for Parent as the legal process plays out.
“We’ll stop at nothing to defend Steve, he’s our local president — as we would for any member of Rhode Island Council 94 who’s been treated in this manner,” McDonald said. “We are confident that once this all settles, we will prevail.”
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
