Nearly three years after the city agreed to pay $98 million to settle claims of bias in its hiring of black and Hispanic firefighters, New York’s Bravest is being sued for discrimination again.
The FDNY’s black emergency medical services and civilian employees have filed a class action lawsuit against the city alleging “systemic, continuous, and intentional discrimination,” court papers show.
The Manhattan federal lawsuit differs from the discrimination lawsuit that scored the massive payout and changed the way firefighters are hired in 2015, filed by the Vulcan Society, because it represents a different class of worker, said Rob Valli, one of the lawyers involved.
Instead of firefighters, the new class action focuses on the FDNY’s black civilian and EMS workers, who claim that they continue to suffer from lower wages and barriers rising in the ranks due to race.
“As you can see from the allegations in the complaint, there has not been a significant change in how these African-American employees are treated” as a result of the Vulcan settlement, Valli said.
FDNY computer specialist Stephanie Thomas, for example, claims she has been “stuck” as a level 1 specialist since she joined the FDNY in 1989 — despite holding a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, a Master’s degree in management and experience working for Pitney Bowes and Arthur Anderson.
The workers have requested an outside monitor to review the FDNY’s pay scales, as well as to help upping “representation of African Americans” in civilian and EMS positions.
A spokesman for the FDNY directed The Post to the city’s Law Department, which said it will respond the lawsuit after having reviewed it.
By Kaja Whitehouse
FDNY sued for discrimination — again
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