State Awaits Fire Company Response

To Discrimination Complaint

By Andrew Gorosko

The state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) is handling a discrimination complaint from a former Botsford volunteer firefighter who alleges that “racist remarks” were made against him by a Botsford fire officer in his absence.

Kambiz Moayedi, 40, filed the complaint on August 5 with the CHRO, alleging that he was discriminated against due to his ancestry and national origin, adding that he was discharged, harassed, and denied equal terms and conditions of employment by the volunteer fire company, according to Lena Ferguson, a CHRO legislative and regulations specialist. The specific contents of such complaints to the civil rights agency are confidential, she said.

The CHRO is seeking a written response to Mr Moayedi’s allegations from the United Fire Company of Botsford, Ms Ferguson said.

Mr Moayedi, who is of Iranian descent, has said that he has taken a leave of absence as a firefighter from the Botsford organization. He alleges that, in his absence, on at least one occasion, an officer of the fire company referred to him as a “terrorist” in the presence of that officer’s superior, who allegedly did not nothing to stop such remarks from being made by that officer. Mr Moayedi further alleges that he learned that the fire officer also had referred to him as a “sand nigger” in his absence.

Mr Moayedi joined the Botsford fire company in October 2004.

Botsford Fire Chief Wayne Ciaccia said this week that when Mr Moayedi left the fire company several months ago, he had done so on good terms with the organization. Chief Ciaccia said that such leaves of absence are not granted to volunteer firefighters who are serving their one-year probationary period with the fire company, so Mr Moayedi, in effect, is a former fire company member.

Mr Moayedi said on August 31 that he has become a member of the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department’s Candlewood Company, where he has been welcomed.

Chief Ciaccia dismissed the allegations of racial epithets being made against him by saying “It’s a fabrication [intended] to get back at somebody.”

Kevin Cragin, the chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, has repeatedly refused to comment on Mr Moayedi’s allegations. Mr Cragin re-emphasized that he would have no comment on the matter during the public participation section of an August 22 fire commission meeting.

Following a July 14 letter of complaint from Mr Moayedi to First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, Mr Rosenthal discussed the allegations with Mr Moayedi in a face-to-face meeting. Mr Moayedi has said he brought his complaint to the first selectman after failing to receive a response to his May 31 complaint to Botsford fire officials.

In a July 25 letter to Mr Cragin, Mr Rosenthal writes of “allegations of extremely inappropriate ethnic slurs made by and condoned by officers of the Botsford Volunteer Fire Company.”

“Please look into this matter and report back to me anything that you can find out about the validity of these allegations and what, if any, action has or will be taken by the fire company to resolve the matter, if the allegations are true,” Mr Rosenthal wrote to Mr Cragin.

In a separate July 25 letter to Jay Nezvesky, president of the Botsford fire company, Mr Rosenthal advises Mr Nezvesky that Mr Cragin is investigating the situation on behalf of the town.

“Please cooperate with Kevin in his investigation. I am sure you will agree that none of us would condone behavior of this type, if true,” Mr Rosenthal wrote.

Mr Nezvesky had no comment on Mr Moayedi’s complaint this week.

Mr Rosenthal, who said he has discussed the matter with Mr Cragin, said he does not expect to receive a written report on the matter from the chairman of Board of Fire Commissioners.

“I know he’s [Cragin] had conversations with Botsford” fire officials, Mr Rosenthal said. “He [Cragin] may not want to comment,” the first selectman added.

“I want Botsford [fire officials] to handle this. It’s an internal matter,” Mr Rosenthal said.

“It’s a personnel matter,” he added. “I’ve heard [that] they are trying to resolve the matter,” he said. “I have not been able to get to the bottom of what happened,” he added. “They [Botsford fire company] need to handle it internally,” Mr Rosenthal said.

“They need to resolve this matter with Mr Moayedi. I can’t make them do it,” Mr Rosenthal said.

If the alleged ethnic slurs were made, Mr Moayedi has a right to lodge a complaint with the CHRO, Mr Rosenthal said.

The first selectman stressed that the United Fire Company of Botsford is composed of volunteer members, and consequently the town government has no clear lines of authority over the fire company.

The Board of Fire Commissioners has seven members. Each of the five local volunteer fire companies elects one person to serve on the board. Those five board members elect two civilian board members. Mr Cragin is one of those civilians.

The board oversees the use of town-owned fire equipment, which is supplied to each of the five fire companies. The town also subsidizes the five fire companies’ operations through the annual town budget. Newtown’s 2005-2006 budget has allocated $962,895 for fire protection.

Ms Ferguson of the CHRO said that after receiving the Botsford fire company’s formal response to Mr Moayedi’s complaint, the CHRO will make a “merit assessment review” of the matter to determine how the complaint will be handled by the civil rights agency.

The agency seeks to settle disputes through mediation, Ms Ferguson said. Complete investigations into complaints can require up to 18 months, she said.