The trio – a Hispanic man, a Polish man in his 40s, and a Black man who said a fellow firefighter called him a racial slur – have joined several other firefighters nationwide in their efforts to speak out against inequality.
According to WIVB News, former Buffalo Fire Deputy Commissioner Shannon Street backs the men’s bias claims. In an affidavit, Street swore he was demoted from deputy commissioner to his civil service rank of captain after bringing several instances of racial and gender prejudice and political favoritism to the attention of Buffalo’s Black mayor, Byron Brown, who appointed him in 2018.
Street says he finished out his career as a captain “and promptly retired.”
“Throughout my career, I have observed systemic racism and politicization at the BFD Academy, which is charged with the training of new cadets,” Street wrote, WIVB reported. “I have observed great preference being shown to people with family ties to the BFD, and worthy candidates drummed out of the Academy who were minorities and women and who were not politically connected.”
Source: Former employees file lawsuit against Buffalo Fire Department alleging racism, ageism
