Keila Torres Ocasio, Staff Writer
Updated 07:06 a.m., Friday, April 15, 2011
BRIDGEPORT -- The latest allegation of racial discrimination within the city's fire department is causing a rift between Mayor Bill Finch, Fire Chief Brian Rooney and a group of current and retired minority firefighters.
In a meeting Thursday to discuss an incident last month in which an unidentified white firefighter allegedly used the n-word, the mayor walked out after one firefighter used vulgar language. This outraged the Firebirds, who were hoping the mayor would take action to reverse the hostile racial work environment they say Rooney has created.
Firefighter Joel Christy, president of the Firebird Society of Bridgeport, and former Firebird President Donald Day last week called for harsher punishments for racially motivated offenses and the firing of firefighters found guilty of multiple violations of the department's anti-discrimination policy in the wake of the recent incident.
Finch and Rooney agreed to meet with the group to discuss that incident.
Day said at the beginning of the meeting Finch declared he would not be able to stay because he had prior commitments. Finch said he stayed long enough to hear the group's concerns, but left when Day used a c-word that is a derogatory term for women.
"They were using a very vulgar term for women and then likening it to using the n-word," said Elaine Ficarra, Finch's spokeswoman. "The mayor was so put off by that, and that was why he left."
Day, who retired from his captain's post in 2001, said he used the c-word at the meeting when he was recounting for the mayor the time he received a 60-day suspension by the department for using that word. Day said he considers the n-word to be more offensive than the c-word because of its historical significance. He said he was trying to make a point that his punishment was significantly more severe than the three-day suspension imposed last year on a firefighter who used the n-word.
After Finch left, the Firebirds said Rooney left the talking to their outside legal counsel John Bohannon, a former city attorney, and Lawrence Osborne, the city's director of labor relations.
"It was painfully obvious that we were brought in there just to vent and nothing constructive was going to come of this meeting," Day said.
Ron Mackey, also a former Firebird president and a retired lieutenant, said the group was disappointed in what they called Finch's and Rooney's lack of righteous indignation about the use of racial slurs in the department. He said the mayor was insensitive for not listening to Firebird members during the meeting and that Rooney should have addressed the staff during a roll call to let them know he was not going to tolerate racial slurs.
Rooney said the Firebirds were wrong in their characterization of him.
"Last year I spent $28,000 out of my budget for diversity training," he said, adding that training is scheduled for next month.
"I think I give out stiff penalties," Rooney said, noting that his punishments are often softened by the state in arbitration. "Yet I do go up there and defend my position vigorously. In fact, I hire outside legal counsel to represent me."
On Tuesday, Rooney said he visited Engine house No. 6 on Central Avenue to discuss the department's discrimination policy.
"I made it perfectly clear where I stand on that," he said. When he has time, he said, he plans to visit the city's other firehouses.
Ficarra said there is an investigation of the alleged use of the n-word by the white firefighter last month. After all sides are heard, the city's Labor Relations Office and Fire Deputy Chief James Grace will determine any appropriate punishment.
"Mayor Finch has said many times: we will not tolerate and has a zero-tolerance policy toward the use of racist remarks by city employees," Ficarra added.
Reach Keila Torres Ocasio at ktorres@ctpost.com or 203-330-6321. Follow at twitter.com/ktorresbpt and facebook.com/ktorresbpt.
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