http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.investigate5apr13,0,6343582.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines
By John Nickerson
Staff Writer
April 13, 2007
NORWALK - Accusations of racial discrimination were absent last night, as four black firefighters defended the Norwalk Fire Department before a Common Council subcommittee formed to investigate allegations of racism.
Fire Inspector Kenneth Hall told five members of the eight-person investigative subcommittee of the Common Council's Health, Welfare and Public Safety Committee that he does not consider his "brother" firefighters racist.
Hall, who recently served as the firefighter union's first black president, said he was with Fire Chief Denis McCarthy when McCarthy was told about a videotape of a firefighter using racial slurs to describe blacks and Hispanics at the Broad River firehouse in March 2005.
During that meeting, McCarthy asked firefighter Scot Wilson, who brought the tape to McCarthy's attention, whether the tape was an "issue" for him. Hall said Wilson replied that it was not.
McCarthy then asked Hall whether racial discrimination was a major issue in the department. He said no.
"At no point prior to this had racism ever reared its head," Hall said last night.
A transcript of the tape was included in a complaint filed that summer with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities in which Wilson said he was "discriminatorily harassed" and "denied equal terms and conditions" of his employment "because of racial animus, disability discrimination and retaliation."
Last night's session was the second of what probably will be three meetings to hear testimony on the issue.
Eight firefighters spoke last night. A third session has not been scheduled.
All employees were invited to share their views of the role race plays in their workplace.
Hall told the committee that "biases" in testing and required fire credentials have resulted in only three blacks and one Hispanic being hired in the past 20 years. In that time, 88 firefighters have been hired, he said.
"But that is not the firefighters' fault. They didn't hire them," Hall said, saying fire commissioners and testing procedures are responsible.
Eleven black and two Hispanic firefighters are employed in the department of about 140 members, Hall said.
Roderick Sawyer, a black firefighter in the Broad River firehouse, said his fellow firefighters are getting a "bum rap."
"My take on it is there is no racism in the fire department," he said.
Sawyer said firefighters do not always get along, which he attributed to personality differences, not racial ones.
Sawyer, who appeared to have some knowledge of the videotape's origins, said firefighters of all races at Broad River "participated in the shenanigans."
Fire Lt. John Tatum said Broad River firefighters felt like prisoners at the station house because they believed the public saw them as racists.
He complained that even though McCarthy apologized for not taking swift action when the videotape surfaced, and former Chief Sanford Anderson, the department's first black fire chief, testified that he never heard complaints of racism, the racial controversy continues.
"How many more studies and investigations do we need to clear the good name and reputation of the Norwalk Fire Department?" Tatum said.
Of the 12 witnesses called before the investigative panel, only two have said the department has a racism problem. Two black Bridgeport firefighters who testified at the meeting three weeks ago were roundly criticized by Norwalk firefighters last night.
The panel's chairwoman, the Rev. Phyllis Bolden, who is black, said she had spoken to several black firefighters who complained to her of racism. Three days ago, she said she hoped a few of them would show up at last night's special meeting, but none did.
Wilson, who was suspended repeatedly for showing up to work under the influence of alcohol, attended last night's meeting and promised he would speak when the time was right.
He has since reached an agreement with the city to leave the department, drop his complaint and collect $40,800 in pay.
Panel member Richard McQuaid said the committee should view the videotape.
But Wilson, who owns the tape, said after the meeting, "I don't think seeing the tape will do anybody any good."
Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.