Detroit Terminates Firefighter Who Brought Watermelon to Station

At first I thought this had to be a fake story, but it appears to be true. A probationary firefighter in Detroit was let go because he brought a watermelon with a pink ribbon on it to his new firehouse as a welcome gift.

The gesture offended those at the firehouse, and Robert Pattison was fired last week. The incident involved Engine 55. According to a statement released by Fire Commissioner Eric Jones, Pattison “engaged in unsatisfactory work behavior which was deemed offensive and racially insensitive to members of the Detroit Fire Department.”