Second suit claiming bias in firefighter hiring

AARON LEO aleo@ctpost.com
Saturday, June 12, 2004-

BRIDGEPORT

A group of 18 white firefighter candidates who are already suing the Fire Department and the mayor for discrimination claim in a second suit that more city officials and agencies discriminated against them in hiring.

John Bolton, of Woodend Road in Stratford, was among the candidates who filed the latest suit in U.S. District Court on May 21.

The list of 110 defendants includes Mayor John M. Fabrizi, former Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, Fire Chief Michael Maglione, Civil Service Director John Colligan, the top 50 firefighter candidates (Bolton was 192 on the hiring list), and the City Council, Civil Service Commission and the Board of Fire Commissioners.

The candidates are also suing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

All the defendants "destroyed our administrative remedies" by acting or failing to act, Bolton said Friday.

"They're not following the [Civil Service] rules," he said of the city officials and agencies.

Bolton also alleges that city fire marshals harassed two candidates outside Bridgeport Superior Court but the city failed to investigate the candidates' subsequent complaint.

Caryn Kaufman, Fabrizi's spokeswoman, said the mayor is not liable for the actions the city takes.

Bolton and the other plaintiffs are "welcome to pursue [their] rights," she added.

Bolton and the candidates filed both suits, but he said on Friday they are hiring a lawyer and combining the actions.

He would not identify the lawyer Friday.

The first suit alleges that minority firefighter groups favored minority candidates in recruiting, among other things.

The candidates seek millions of dollars in damages in both suits.

Aaron Leo, who covers regional issues, can be reached at 330-6222.