Black firefighter takes discrimination charge to trial

[drparasite]

yeah, i have to agree with dasharki. a prank is one thing. but a noose and a bullet? that's crossing a line. not cool guys

[DaSharkie]

I'm all for a few jokes on new guys but what in the hell are some of our fellow firefighters thinking when they pull these stunts? Engage your damned brains people.

Not only are these bafoons putting these things in his locker and on his bed, inside this poor guy - who has probably always wanted to be a firefighter now goes to work with a real sense of doubt in his soul as to if he is going to receive any help from these guys if a fire goes south and he needs it.

I have to go withthe captain on this one, I don't like frivolous lawsuits but if the harrassment is going on for extended periods and nothing was done to curtail it I hope he beats the snot out of the town and the chief. I'm not a P.C. person but there are some things that you just don't do, making a guy feel threatened because of his race is one of them. It only shows your own ignorance.

[cfdeng3]

Firefighters in that town need to throw away their copies of Mississippi Burning. The movie was not meant to be funny and this joke is not funny. I am all for joking around the firehouse but this is over the top. I wonder how they joke around with Jewish firefighters?

[LadyCapn]

Normally I would scoff this type of behaviour off, however a noose and a bullet are carrying things wayyyyy too far. Bad form guys, very bad form.

[NJFFSA16]

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - A black firefighter in Barberton says be
believes that a noose found above his firehouse bed and a bullet
placed in his locker are evidence of racial discrimination at his
job.
Lawyer John Myers, who represents firefighter Terry Thomas, 38,
laid out the firefighter's complaint before jurors in a Summit
County courtroom Monday, as Thomas' racial discrimination lawsuit
began against the Akron suburb.
Thomas, who remains a Barberton firefighter, is seeking
unspecified damages.
Barberton officials deny that Thomas is a victim of
discrimination. They acknowledge that pranks may have been played
on Thomas, but they say the pranks were the kind that brothers play
on each other.
Thomas was the victim of "outrageous threats in the workplace"
beginning almost the day he joined the department in 1994, Myers
said.
Thomas contends in his suit that the department has "engaged in
a pattern of racial harassment and disparate treatment, and has
failed to train personnel about workplace discrimination."
Thomas was always the "odd man out" in the 40-person
department, Myers told jurors.
Thomas also alleges that he has been denied equal training
opportunities and assignments because of his race. Lawyers
representing Barberton say an investigation found his allegations
had no merit.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)