Long Island fire departments settle discrimination claims, remove Confederate flags
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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Long Island fire departments accused of displaying Confederate flags and enforcing discriminatory membership policies agreed to settlements with the New York State Division of Human Rights. DHR announced on Monday that the settlements required policy changes, training, and $28,000 total in fines paid to the state.
The complaints, filed in 2021, targeted the Brookhaven and Levittown fire districts and departments. According to DHR, a Brookhaven firefighter attached a Confederate flag to a fire truck, flying it at an August 2020 event held for a sick colleague.
The image below made the rounds on social media, perhaps first posted by Monique Fitzgerald:
In response, Suffolk County officials and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for an immediate investigation. And while community members demanded accountability both in-person and via social media, the Brookhaven fire department quickly condemned the flag display as an unauthorized act by a single firefighter.
And in Levittown, also during the Black Lives Matter era of Summer 2020, the fire department drill team named the Rebels was using equipment, department vehicles, and apparel featuring a cartoon character brandishing a Confederate flag. The apparently original character wore a Confederate soldier uniform and a belt buckle with the initials for Levittown Fire Department.
The image below comes from a Change.org petition that would ban them Rebels from using the flag:
During the Civil War, New York had more casualties than any other state, Union or Confederate. Displaying the Confederate flag—an enduring symbol of racism and white supremacy also called the Rebel Flag—violates New York's Human Rights Law by creating an unwelcoming environment for both the public and prospective members.
As part of the settlements, the fire departments and districts have to remove all Confederate flags or depictions of them from property, vehicles, uniforms, websites, and social media. They also have to implement bans on hate symbols and require Human Rights Law training for everyone who works there.
The Division of Human Rights also resolved five separate complaints about discriminatory membership policies. Investigators found that the Holbrook, Brookhaven, and Levittown fire departments broke the law when requiring that new hires be U.S. citizens and asking job applicants about their national origin, religion, and criminal history. The departments agreed to revise their applications and policies to comply.
The settlements, finalized between July 2024 and January 2025, include a three-year oversight period, with reviews every six months to confirm compliance. Further penalties would be in order should DHR find that any department broke the agreement.
Report hate crimes and discrimination to the Division of Human Rights via email at tips@dhr.ny.gov or via phone at (844)-NO-2-HATE.
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