A Black firefighter notified the city of Rochester and the fire department that employs him of his intent to sue after he said he was pressured into attending a racist party disguised as a community event. During a news conference covered by WROC-TV on Aug. 11, Jerrod Jones described an environment with cutouts of former President Donald Trump and Juneteenth flags with buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken "prominently displayed" nearby.
Jones, who has worked for the Rochester Fire Department for 14 years, said his captain, Jeffrey Krywy, took him and two other subordinates to the private party on July 7. While there, Jones watched Krywy collect a party favor bag with Cognac and a Juneteenth cup inside of it.
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"It means a lot to me when I put that uniform on,” Jones said during the news conference, “and I've always wanted to represent my city in the correct manner, in a decent manner, honorable manner.
“And what I had to experience a month ago it cut me very deeply."
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said in a statement CNN obtained on Tuesday that the city completed and internal investigation and Krywy, who wasn’t named in Jones’ notice of claim, decided to retire before the city began its termination proceedings against him.
Nate McMurray, Jones' attorney, responded to the statement in a Twitter thread. “The mayor of Rochester put out a statement this morning saying the captain involved in the racist incident is retiring,” McMurray tweeted. “Thus—presumably—full pension. Further, the Mayor says they’ve done an investigation. In other words, ‘All good.’”
He continued, that it's not all good:
“Here are the facts: He has yet to call my client—although he held a press conference at the same moment my client did at the same location on a different topic—why? The fire chief has also yet to call my client.
There has not been an independent review of how this happened and who was involved. There are no concrete changes to guarantee it can never happen again. And my client remains at risk, subject to threats and a hostile workplace, just years away from his own well earned pension.
The fact that this very limited and carefully crafted statement comes only after my client went public is troubling. Assuming the well intent of the mayor, he should understand that the people of Rochester demand more. And even the elected officials contacting me demand more.”
McMurray added that Rochester police and fire department members have contacted him wanting, “real change, not a quick sweep under the rug.”
“This is an opportunity for the City of Rochester—after several years of division and pain—to come together for real change,” McMurray said.
He listed the outcomes he said are needed for that to happen in his client’s case:
“1. My client must be made whole—not disregarded for his courage
2. We need an independent investigation. Who was at this party? What other first responders were there?
3. Why—after this was reported—did your office and RFD command structure respond so slowly? We need changes.
4. Where is the report on your investigation? Publish it.
5. What elected officials were targeted at the party? Name them.”