A firefighter in Rochester, New York, who said his captain took him to a racist party while on duty last month, is seeking millions in damages as the community deals with the fallout from a city investigation into the social gathering, which the hosts said Tuesday was a political event.
What happened at the party? During a shift earlier this summer, firefighter Jerrod Jones said his captain took three firefighters to a party where there were racist tropes like buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken and bottles of cognac beneath large flags for Juneteenth, the federal holiday that symbolizes the end of slavery, according to a legal notice filed earlier this month.
What happened to the captain? Captain Jeffrey Krywy was initially suspended and later retired before he could be terminated as a result of the city investigation into the party.
What did the hosts say? An attorney for the hosts of the party, dentist Nicholas Nicosia and real estate agent Mary Znidarsic-Nicosia, said the event was a “liberal smashing” pool party. Then during a press conference Tuesday, Znidarsic-Nicosia acknowledged she had a Twitter parody account that “made blatantly racist comments.”
Here’s what we know:
Firefighter on leave, intends to sue
Jones, a 14-year veteran of the Rochester Fire Department who is Black, is on leave after suffering emotional distress and fear of retaliation, according to his complaint. He filed the notice of claim, which is a notice of intent to file a lawsuit, Aug. 11 seeking $4 million in damages after he said his internal complaint about the party was ignored. The notice names the city and the fire department.
He said the party on July 7 at the 9,800-square-foot home in a wealthy section of Rochester reminded him of the Jordan Peele movie “Get Out,” which is about wealthy white people staging seemingly genteel events to harvest Black people’s bodies. At the party, there was also a cardboard cutout of former President Donald Trump, photos of Democratic politicians on stakes, and a woman dancing suggestively who appeared to be dressed as a local Democratic official, the complaint alleged.
Jones said the incident “cut me very deeply” at a news conference.
Captain showed ‘extreme lack of judgement,’ investigators say
Krywy told investigators the host invited him to “stop by with the truck” and he believed doing so was no different than the department attending other community events. He said he received a Juneteenth cup and Hennessy bottle, among other items in a gift bag, but did not notice a theme of the event. Cognac, in particular brands like Hennessy, have historically had a large African American consumer base and relationship with the community.
Krywy said he didn’t think the party “was inappropriate.”
Investigators said his decisions showed “an extreme lack of judgement” and the situation violated department rules. The report recommended suspension “up to and including termination” for Krywy and recommended the entire department undergo training on diversity and implicit bias.
Hosts intend to file defamation lawsuit
Corey Hogan, an attorney for Nicosia and Znidarsic-Nicosia, said Tuesday the couple intends to file a defamation lawsuit because their reputations were damaged and their family was harassed over the allegations. The pair were also suspended from multiple organizations they work with, and patients and an employee left Nicosia’s dental practice, Hogan said.
Hogan disputed the allegations in Jones’ legal notice. He said the buckets of fried chicken were served with other foods, describing it as a convenient choice the couple eats regularly. The stereotype that fried chicken is a favorite food among Black people has long been used in racist depictions of African Americans, and many institutions have faced backlash for adding it to their menus during Black History Month and Juneteenth.
Hogan said a guest brought the Juneteenth signs as well as snowflakes and July 4 decorations as a way of “making fun of all these liberal causes.”
The couple, who are white, denied being racist.
Znidarsic-Nicosia then apologized to the African American community for a Twitter account she ran, which posted racist comments and images. In June, the profile picture for the account was a photo of a racist figurine of a Black man’s head as a piggy bank, Znidarsic-Nicosia said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Contact Breaking News Reporter N’dea Yancey-Bragg at nyanceybra@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg
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