WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Dozens of black firefighters in Washington have filed a suit alleging discrimination within the D.C. Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
The 31-page lawsuit filed Friday alleges black employees face harsher discipline, are promoted less often and confront a hostile work environment imposed by white supervisors, The Washington Post reported.
"I have been trying disciplinary cases before the department for years, and time after time, I see that disciplinary actions taken against African-Americans are different from disciplinary actions against whites for the same alleged offenses," said attorney Donna Rucker of Washington law firm Gebhardt & Associates, which represents plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Fire Department spokesman Pete Piringer declined to comment Friday, saying officials had not had the opportunity to review the lawsuit, the report said.
The suit says more than half the department is African-American and claims since October 2007 senior white officers have "created a climate of fear and intimidation" by abusing their power and punishing black firefighters of all ranks more severely.
The suit seeks class-action status for as many as 1,000 black firefighters, the newspaper said.
