Fire Department Sued By Applicant For Defamation

A volunteer fire department in New York is facing a defamation suit over the application of a man who claims he was falsely accused of being a “child molester”.

Vincent C. Stevenson applied to join the East Syracuse Fire Department in 2012. He claims that an employee of the village fire department, Dawn Cramer, falsely accused him of being a “child molester.”

According to the lawsuit Cramer told an assistant fire chief “you better tell Vinnie to withdraw his application, or I will bring out the tapes proving that he is a child molester.”

Stevenson filed the suit in state Supreme Court against the village of East Syracuse, the East Syracuse Fire Department, and Cramer alleging defamation. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, and claims the allegations damaged his reputation, led to the loss of job opportunities, and caused him emotional distress.

The suit was filed in 2013, but only recently came to the attention of local media.

More on the story.