Tag Archives: African-American

The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has upheld the termination of an outspoken African American firefighter from Boston who was terminated for his offensive social media posts. Octavius Rowe, a 15 year veteran, was fired on April 30, 2018 after a lengthy investigation.

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An Austin firefighter cadet who was fired in 2016 for poor performance has filed suit claiming he was the victim of race discrimination. Damon Easter filed suit last Friday in US District Court accusing the department and academy instructors of being on a “continuous crusade” against him...

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Last week was a very busy week Fire Law-wise. Besides the five headline stories I covered, there were a seemingly endless stream of additional cases that broke. Let’s take a quick look at several of the more important cases that otherwise would have slipped through the cracks.

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A volunteer firefighter in New York is suing his former fire department in federal court alleging race discrimination. Sean Joshua filed suit against the Valley Stream Fire Department alleging race discrimination under state and federal law.

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A Michigan firefighter has been terminated over racially charged comments he posted on Facebook. Ryan Hudson, 40, of the Belding Fire Department, was fired yesterday for comments he posted in reply to a post that supported San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback ...

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The City of Montebello has agreed to settle a race discrimination suit with an African American firefighter for $2.6 million. Last year a jury awarded Captain Vernon Creswell $750,000 for racial harassment and $189,000 for retaliation. He claimed he had ...

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FDNY has taken disciplinary action against seven firefighters over a hazing incident involving an African American firefighter. The New York Post citing unofficial sources reported that firefighters pranked a member by putting his locker in a bathroom. FDNY has refused to identify the members involved or release any details about the incident.

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An applicant to the Gulfport Fire Department who was told he would have to cut his dreadlocks before he could start last year, has filed suit claiming race discrimination. Larry Christmas Jr. claims he passed the written and agility tests necessary to start with the GFD but was ordered to cut his dreadlocks.

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A Massachusetts firefighter who is suing his fire department and union for race discrimination, has been joined by two police officers and five other town employees who also allege race discrimination. Gerald Alston filed suit against the Town of Brookline, the Board of Selectmen, IAFF Local 950, and several others claiming race discrimination.

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Two settlements are in the fire law news today. In New Jersey, the Neptune Township Fire District No. 1 settled a race discrimination case filed by an African American firefighter who claims he was wrongfully denied additional compensation for extra duties and retaliated against when he complained.

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Four EMS workers have been suspended without pay following the death of a 43-year old African American man who was reportedly placed in a choke-hold by an NYPD officer. Eric Garner died last Thursday while being arrested for allegedly selling ...

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New Haven is back in the Fire Law news with word that firefighter Michael Briscoe has filed a race discrimination complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities against IAFF Local 825. You may recall, in 2009 Briscoe ...

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The acting fire chief at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) who was terminated last week has announced plans to challenge his termination, which his attorney characterizes as racially motivated. Gregory Lawrence was the first African-American to lead the BWI fire ...

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