WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of black Washington firefighters are alleging systematic racial discrimination in a federal lawsuit that claims they are subjected to harsher discipline and promoted less often by white supervisors.
A spokesman for the department declined comment on the suit filed Friday, saying officials had not had an opportunity to review the lawsuit.
The suit says senior white officers in the department, which is more than half black, have created a climate of fear and intimidation, punishing black firefighters of all ranks more severely. The suit filed by about 30 firefighters seeks class-action status for as many as 1,000 black firefighters.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
