Black firefighter sues N.J. town for $25M after a colleague tossed a noose at him

Black firefighter sues N.J. town for $25M after a colleague tossed a noose at him

A Black firefighter in Bloomfield is suing the Bloomfield Fire Department, the township, the fire chief and another firefighter, claiming he was harassed with racist behavior that went unpunished.Attorneys for Patrick Thomas claim in a federal lawsuit filed on Nov. 16 that he was racially harassed and intimidated by a fellow firefighter, Walter Coffey, in 2023, and no actions were taken to discipline Coffey.

A Bloomfield Firefighter Files $25M Lawsuit for Racism After Noose Incident

A Bloomfield, New Jerset firefighter has filed a $25 million lawsuit against the township, the fire department and its chief, and a fellow firefighter over allegations of racism on the job per Patch. Patrick Thomas, an African American, alleged that during a rope and knot training session in November 2023, Firefighter Walter Coffey, a 23-year veteran firefighter, made a noose out of the training rope and threw it towards Firefighter Thomas. “I w…