Former New Haven firefighter suing city, commissioners, over termination

Former firefighter suing city, commissioners, over termination

William Kaempffer, Register Staff

June 28, 2002

NEW HAVEN — A former firefighter has sued the city and Board of Fire Commissioners, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation led to his unlawful firing last year.

Clifton Petteway of 130 Front St. filed the civil rights lawsuit last month in U.S. District Court.

He is seeking reinstatement to the fire service, plus back pay and damages.

Petteway, who is black, claims he was fired because of his race and his history of confronting racial discrimination inside the department.

"It's clear to me that there is a double standard in the New Haven Fire Department," said his attorney, John R. Williams, of New Haven. "Clearly the way that double standard works is there is one set of rules for activists with the New Haven Firebirds and another set of rules for everybody else."

Petteway was an outspoken member of the New Haven Firebird Society, a fraternal group of minority firefighters.

Last March, the fire commission terminated Petteway after Fire Chief Dennis W.

Daniels accused him of neglect of duty, disobeying orders and violating the city's workplace violence policy.

Williams contends that no one in the history of the department had ever been fired for such conduct.

Further, the New Haven-based attorney asserted, many white firefighters had "engaged in conduct far worse" and not been fired.

City attorneys already filed a legal motion asking a judge to dismiss some of his claims.

"Mr. Petteway's race had nothing to do with the decision to terminate him," said Corporation Counsel Thomas W. Ude Jr. "The decision was based on his actions."

Daniels is African-American, as is the former head of the fire commission, the Rev. Theodore Brooks. Brooks presided over Petteway's disciplinary hearing.

Petteway already appealed his termination to the state Board of Mediation and Arbitration and Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and lost.

Possibly the most serious allegation against the 14-year member of the department was that he directed a veiled threat at the fire chief after he began examining alleged misconduct involving Petteway at a firehouse.

As the two rode an elevator at fire headquarters, Petteway allegedly poked Daniels in the chest and said, "You're pushing me, Dennis."

There were no witnesses and Petteway denied the incident occurred.

As a Firebird, Petteway had been a plaintiff in a series of lawsuits against the city alleging racial discrimination and illegal promotional practices.

Neither Daniels nor Petteway returned phone calls requesting comment.

William Kaempffer can be reached at wkaempffer@nhregister.com, or at 789-5727.