Authorities critical of noose, lewd drawings found at Miami fire station
MIAMI -- Miami authorities are scrutinizing a fire station where a noose was found hanging over a black firefighter's family photo ruined by lewd drawings. City officials fired six firefighters and five others could be suspended or demoted.
Termination letters sent to The Associated Press on Thursday said the fired firefighters drew or helped draw pictures of penises on personal photos of a colleague. Two of them were supervisors. One of them failed to report the incident and lied to investigators and the other one.
The letters don't say who created the noose, but city manager Daniel Alfonso says the investigation continues.
"City of Miami Fire Rescue is an ethnically and racially diverse department and one of the best in the country," said Alfonso in a statement. "We cannot and will not tolerate behavior that is disrespectful, hurtful and compromises the integrity of the department and the City of Miami."
The city manager said he and the fire department's chief found out on Sept. 9 about an incident "involving sexually explicit and racially offensive conduct" and transferred employees to other stations. After the police department began an internal investigation, 11 firefighters were suspended without pay.
Of the six firefighters who were fired, two were supervisors who lied to investigators, according to the dismissal letters. One of them is accused of encouraging and helping subordinates draw lewd pictures on the photos.
The firefighters have up to 10 days to dispute their termination before Miami's Fire-Rescue Chief Joseph Zahralban.
CBS Miami reports that officials will hold a press briefing about the incident Friday morning.
Miami International Association of Firefighters President Freddy Delgado says the union is aware of the incident but "remains unclear about the facts."
In Pompano Beach earlier this year, three firefighter recruits resigned and another was fired after a similar stunt on the last day of firefighting school, according to CBS Miami.
Civil rights activists have pointed out an increase in the use of hate symbols such as nooses and swastikas around the country. Nooses have appeared in the last few months in numerous public places from museums in Washington to universities in Maryland and Kansas, a high school in Oklahoma and a church in Alabama.
