Black firefighter alleges captain took him to racist party mocking Juneteenth
A western New York fire captain allegedly pressured a Black firefighter while on duty to go to a party that mocked Juneteenth with racist imagery and featured images of elected officials with spikes running through them, according to a legal filing.
A western New York fire captain allegedly pressured a Black firefighter while on duty to go to a party that mocked Juneteenth with racist imagery and featured images of elected officials with spikes running through them, according to a legal filing.
The firefighter, Jerrod Jones, said the party took place last month at a private home in an affluent area in Rochester, New York, a notice of claim filed Thursday stated. The filing is a notice of intent to file a lawsuit.
Jones and two other firefighters went to the party after their captain, Jeffrey Krywy, allegedly told them they should all go, according to the notice of claim, which names the city and its fire department.
Speaking at a news conference outside Rochester's City Hall on Thursday, Jones, a 14-year veteran with the Rochester Fire Department, said the experience "cut me very deeply."
“I decided to speak up today because I have two children who maybe one day will aspire to be firefighters, and I don’t want them ... I don't want them to have to experience what I experienced," he said.
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