Skip to content
Advertisement

6 Miami Firefighters Fired for Hanging Noose on Black Colleague’s Family Picture

Advertisement
 (250993)

Six Miami firefighters have been terminated for allegedly placing a noose over the family photos of a Black colleague, city officials said. ABC News is reporting that on Sept. 9, a lieutenant with the City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue discovered that his family photos in the fire station had been defaced with “lewd and sexually explicit renderings,” Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban said in a statement, describing the incident as a “hideous, distasteful act of hate.” The lieutenant, who had been with the fire department for 17 years, is Black, according to the office of City Manager Daniel Alfonso. Zahralban said he personally responded to the incident after it was reported. “Appalled by my observation, I immediately requested the Miami Police Department investigate the matter and temporarily transferred all personnel assigned to that station, per our department policy,” he said. The investigation revealed that 11 members of the fire department had “some involvement with the incident,” and they were relieved of duty, Zahralban said. Additional evidence revealed that six of those individuals – a captain, a lieutenant and four firefighters – who were “directly involved” in the incident were swiftly terminated for “offenses surrounding egregious and hateful conduct,” Zahralban said. The remaining five employees were relieved of duty with pay, Alfonso said in a statement. Termination letters sent Wednesday identify the fired members of the department as William W. Bryson, Kevin Meizoso, David Rivera, Justin Rumbaugh, Harold Santana and Alejandro Sese. “It is the policy of the Department of Fire Rescue to provide a workplace for all of our employees that is free from intimidation, threats or violent acts,” Zahralban said. “Our department is a diverse organization rich in tradition and we hold Honor, Integrity and Respect for our fellow firefighters in the highest regard. These are expectations I place on myself, my staff and every individual under my command as we continue to stand ready to serve our community.”

Advertisement

Latest