Nine New York City firefighters have been suspended without pay for mocking George Floyd’s death in a racist thread. This is reportedly the most extensive punitive action the FDNY has ever taken.
“When these memes were reported, we investigated in, and the suspension was the result,” FDNY spokesman Jim Long told The New York Post. Several Black firefighters initially reported the thread.
The suspensions were first reported on by The New York Times on Friday. They range from a few days to six months in length. One of the firefighters will leave the department after his suspension.
The investigation uncovered a secret group chat between white firefighters where they shared racist jokes and memes. They mocked George Floyd’s death, bragged that cops could “legally shoot Black children,” and about using hoses on protesters.
Among the suspended firefighters are those who served in supervisory roles and members who shared memes and messages.
This is not the first time the FDNY has grappled with racism. Several incidents of racism have been reported over the last several years.
The department, which is 75 percent white, is under a federal monitor to focus on diversity. It was put in place after it was determined the FDNY discriminated against Black and other minority candidates during its post-9/11 hiring process. To address its racial disparity, the department began recruiting from predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods. By 2017, the majority of new applicants who took the entrance exam were people of color.
