Aliyya Swaby Photo
Augustine: At least demote him.
Black firefighters disagreed on whether the firefighter suspended for allegedly using the N‑word in a Facebook comment should ultimately be terminated.
The split became apparent at a press conference the New Haven Firebirds Society held Wednesday afternoon at the Goffe Street firehouse to praise leadership for its fast response and call for further action.
Fire Chief Allyn Wright suspended the firefighter — a lieutenant with 21 years on the job — Tuesday for 15 days without pay. The Board of Fire Commissioners can choose to take additional punitive action.
The English and Proud Facebook item.
A screen shot of an Islamophobic Facebook post showed a comment in the name of the firefighter that reads: “In the U.S. we call them niggers.” The comment was taken down hours after the screen shot circulated among firefighters and city officials Monday.
Firebirds President William Augustine said Tuesday that the lieutenant should be fired, if the allegation is proven true. Wednesday, he said the fire commissioners should at least “demote” him to a probationary position.
Firebirds Vice President Darrell Brooks said Wednesday that he has worked with the lieutenant for years and had never heard him use the n‑word, but that it was clearly “in his heart.”
But Brooks said he wasn’t calling for the lieutenant to be fired. “I certainly wouldn’t want to see anyone terminated,” he said. “With that being said, the use of that word and the ease at which it was used was very concerning.”
He said he wouldn’t trust the lieutenant to “go the extra mile” to save his family members living in New Haven.
For that exact reason, Douglas Wardlaw, the society’s second vice president, said the lieutenant should be forced to retire. “A suspension still brings the same person harboring the same ill feelings back on the force,” he said. And Wardlaw said he wouldn’t feel safe taking orders from a high-ranking officer who had made racist comments: “If you feel that low about me, how safe will I be?”
Many other firefighters “harbor the same feelings. He’s the one dumb enough to get caught,” he said.
The firefighter did not admit to or deny the allegation in a Tuesday morning meeting with the fire chief. Mayor Toni Harp, Chief Wright and fire union President Jimmy Kottage have all called the post “unacceptable.”
Brooks said the community should use the incident to push for major cultural changes within the department. He said city and community leaders should join firefighters for ongoing discussions about race in a department with “deep-seated” race issues. “The community pays our salary so they should hold us accountable,” he said.
None of the Firebirds present had talked to the lieutenant since the suspension.
Looking at the larger picture, Brooks said, after the next round of retirement, racial diversity in the department will drop back to 1970 levels. Black firefighters won a series of discrimination suits in the 1970s after having been shut out of the department for decades.
Firebird Gary Tinney said black firefighters are “painted as bad guys” for speaking out against discrimination. But the need for more racial diversity is clear, he said.
Two former fire commissioners showed their support Wednesday — they, too, differed on how current commissioners should move forward with the lieutenant’s suspension.
Bishop Theodore Brooks, a commissioner 12 to 15 years ago, said “suspension is enough with understanding and training behind that … I don’t want to take away someone’s means to take care of their family.” But, he said, if the lieutenant continues to put racists posts on social media, he should be terminated.
The Rev. Boise Kimber disagreed: “I think the individual ought to be terminated and then he should have to fight to get his job back.”