By ELAINE FICARRA
June 18, 2010
BRIDGEPORT – District Court Judge Robert N. Chatigny recently ruled in favor of Bridgeport Fire Chief Brian Rooney, Deputy Fire Chief James Grace, former Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Connor, former Provisional Deputy Fire Chief Wallace Thomas, former Provisional Fire Marshal Bruce Collins, Acting Fire Marshal William Cosgrove, and former Labor Relations Director Edmund Winterbottom, in a discrimination case brought by former Fire Inspectors Ronald Morales and Ismael Hernandez. In their suit, Morales and Hernandez claimed that Chief Rooney and the other named defendants, individually and collectively created a work environment hostile toward individuals of Hispanic ancestry.
In his summary judgment, Judge Chatigny held that City officials presented overwhelming evidence establishing that both Morales and Hernandez were terminated for valid, performance related reasons wholly unconnected to their Hispanic ancestry, as they had claimed in their suit against Rooney and six other city officials. Morales and Hernandez had claimed that Rooney and others had harassed and discriminated against the pair, which resulted in the eventual loss of their jobs with the Fire Department. Morales was terminated, along with four other fire inspectors (two of whom were Caucasian), after an investigation into the GPS monitoring of inspectors’ vehicles revealed that Morales had numerous unaccounted-for work hours and made many misrepresentations in his daily activity reports. Hernandez, in turn, was terminated after multiple instances of insubordination.
In regard to Morales and Hernandez’s hostile work environment claims, Judge Chatigny held that the record before the court contained no evidence that harassment or discrimination toward Hispanic fire inspectors was the policy or custom of the City. Judge Chatigny noted that the Labor Relations Department had promptly and independently investigated claims of harassment and discrimination within the Fire Department, and concluded that such claims were unfounded. In his summary judgment ruling, Judge Chatigny reiterated that Morales and Hernandez simply provided no evidence upon which a reasonable person could find that the City Officials harassed and terminated them because of their Hispanic ancestry.
“We are gratified by the judge’s ruling in this case,” said Rooney. “It is my policy and practice at all times to treat everyone in a fair and just manner, regardless of their sex, age, race or ethnic background.This ruling affirms and validates the Bridgeport Fire Department’s disciplinary procedures, and the methods used to investigate allegations of improper treatment.”