Alleged discrimination by 3 Long Island fire districts prompts fines, settlement with state human rights division

Three Long Island fire departments and their governing fire districts have agreed to pay fines and change policies to settle complaints of unlawful discrimination, according to the New York State Division of Human Rights.

In a news release Monday, the agency said Brookhaven and Levittown fire departments and districts had displayed the Confederate flag, a historic symbol of the pro-slavery South, on department equipment.

Those departments, as well as Holbrook’s, also used bylaws that unlawfully stipulated that only United States citizens could be department volunteers. The agency alleged that Holbrook unlawfully requested information about applicants’ national origin, religion and whether they had been charged with or convicted of a crime.

“In filing these complaints, the Division asserted that the Confederate flag is a historical symbol of racism and that its display by the Brookhaven Fire Department and Levittown Fire Department violated the New York State Human Rights Law by conveying a discriminatory message and thereby limiting the public’s ability to rely on and utilize the critical fire and EMS services provided by these Departments, as well as discouraging prospective applicants from seeking to join their Departments,” a news release from the human rights division said.

Brookhaven and Holbrook departments did not respond to emailed requests for comment. Levittown did not respond to a voicemail.

Agency officials had brought formal complaints against Brookhaven and Levittown departments, alleging that they violated state human rights law by displaying the Confederate flag, limiting the public’s ability to rely on their services and discouraging prospective applicants from seeking to join the departments, according to the release.

As part of the settlements announced Monday, the Fire Districts and Fire Departments agreed to remove depictions of the Confederate flag from their equipment, property, apparel, websites, and social media accounts and to adopt policies prohibiting its display — or the display of other hate symbols — in the future, according to the release. Both districts and departments also agreed to have all district commissioners and department members participate in training on the Human Rights Law.

Holbrook, Brookhaven and Levittown departments and districts also agreed to adopt amendments to their membership applications to comply with state human rights law, according to the release.

The complaints against the departments were originally brought in 2021, the release said.