8/20/2019 PNJ Article

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 awsuit says nooses

found in work areas

FROMlA

 ity fire

officials

accused

of racism

 awsuit alleges

open harassment

Allegations outlined in the

lawsuit:

• Dixon coined a derogatory

nickname for blacks that was

openly used department-wide.

• In the fall of 1999, Waters

made derogatory remarks about

interracial couples which of-

fended plaintiff-   ,:> ; who is

married to a whitb>- 'uman.

• A white lieutenant used a

derogatory niclo1ame for black

children, and Dixon did not take

corrective action.

• Black firefighters have

foundhangman's nooses intheir

'work areas.

• Black firefighters have

been denied hands-on training

needed for promotion.

• Whites were given advance

notice ofpending job promotions

so they could study for the test

.ahead of time.

, • White firefighters were giv-

en answers to exams before the

test to ensure they placed higher

than blacks onpromotion lists.

• Black firefighters have been

consistently overlooked for

bonuses, commendations and

awards.

Plaintiff: 'said Wednesday

he was  not interested in trying

this lawsuit through the press. 

Michael Stewart

@PensacolaNewsJoumal.com

The deputy Pensacola fire chief

named as a likely replacement for

retiring chief James Dixon is cited

in a still-uresolved lawsuit alleging

racial discrimination. in the Fire

Department.

Four black firefighters filed a fed-

eral lawsuit last July claiming they

and other black firefighters have

been routinely subjected to racial

slurs, overlooked for promotions and

targeted forharassment.

Pensacola   re Ilaz:tnu;nt

  -   .  '  

..• . __ -' -  ;'-2--·   :. ,

.. are plaintil'fs

  t

e suit

ag nst the City of Pensacola and

Pensacola Professional Firefighters

Local Chapter

707.

Dixon is specifically mentioned

in the suit, as is Deputy Chief Mel

Waters, who City Manager 'IomBon-

field has said probably will become

interim chief when Dixon retires in

August.

Last week, after a nationwide

search for Dixon's replacement, Bon-

field rejected all five of the top appli-

cants, saying none was  the right fit 

for Pensacola. .

Bonfield said he had not made a

final decisionon'an interim chief,but

Waters was a likely pick because he's'

the fire official most responsible for

fire suppression efforts and the one

most firefighters report to.

Dixon said the allegations outlined

in the black firefighters' lawsuit are

 mostly lies and innuendos. 

He acknowledged .that there were

some incidents of racism in the past

but said they were dealt with accord-

ing to city policy.He also said he has

never' personally made racist com-

ments, and a captain who made ra-

cially

offensive re:m.arks

has retired.

  T h ei r a c cu s ations are so off bas ed

and SQ wrong, it would take me a long

time to sort it out, Dixon said.

Waters was not available for com-

ment.

, He said he , shed more fire-

fighters had come forward dur-

ing a U.S. Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission. into

allegations of racial issues at

the Fire Department. That case

was dismissed in

2004

because

of a lack of conclusive evidence

City Employee Services Directo;

,M a ry

Ann

Stalcup sa id .

Of the roughly 120 firefighters

in.the.dePa:tmeItt, about

20

are

minority, DIXonsaid.

-- -. said he did not want to

talk  bou t thelawsuit, However,

he said the plaintiffs' main objec-

tive is tobring about fundamen-

tal changes in the department,

although an unspecified amount

ofmoney is being sought. '

 Until we put the money part

in the lawsuit, they would not

even acknowledge who we are 

he said. . ' .

could not

be.-.,,<tcneo.

, Bonfield was in budget meet-

ings all day Wednesday and

unavailable

for

comment.

Stalcup said the city has

filed a motion to dismiss the

federal lawsuit and is waiting

for a counter-motion from the

plaintiffs' attorney.

 W.edon't feel there are any

ments tothe case,  she said.

See.LAWSUlT

S s .

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