a wsuit s ays n oo ses foun di n w or k areas F ROMlA ity fire officials accused o f r acism aws uit a ll e ges op e n ha r as s ment Al legations outlined in the la w sui t : • Di x o n coined a derogato ry n i c k name for b l acks that was open ly u s ed d e pa rt men t - w ide. • I n t he fal l of 1999, Waters mad e d e ro g a to r y r e m a r k s abou i nterraci al c o up l es w h i ch of- f en d ed plaint i ff - , : > ; w ho is m arrie d to a w hit b >- ' u ma n . • A w h ite lie u te n a n t u s ed a d erogato ry n i c l o 1 am e for b la c k chil dren , a nd D i xo n d id no t ta ke c o r recti ve a ctio n . • B la c k fi re fi ght e rs h a v e fo u nd han gman's noos es in thei r ' w o r k are a s. • Bl ack fir e f igh t er s have b een deni ed hand s-o n tr aining n e ed e df o r p r omo t io n. • W h i tes we re give n a d v a nc e n o t iceofpe nd i ng job pr omo t ion s s o t h ey coul dstud y for the t est . a h e ad o f t ime . , • Wh it e fi refi gh t ers w re gi v - en a nswe r s to exams befor e the t es t t o en s ure they p lac e d hig he r t h a n b l ack s onpr omoti on lis t s. • Black f i re f ighter s ha v e been c o nsist e n tl y ove r l oo ked for bonu ses, comm e n dat i o n s a n d awa rds . P l a in t if f : ' said W e dnes day he was no t i n te re st e d in trying t h is lawsuit th r ou gh the pr ess . M ich a el S tewa rt @ PensacolaNewsJouma l . com The depu ty P e n sacol a f i r e c h i e f named as a likely r eplacement for r e t iring chief J a m es D i x on is ci t e d i n a still-ure s o lv e d la w sui t a l legi n g r a c ial disc rim in a tio n . in t he Fi r e Depa rt men t . Fou r blac k f i refi gh t e rs fil e d a fed- e ral l a wsuit l a s t Jul y c l a imin g th ey a nd oth er b lac k f i r ef ight e rs ha ve b een r o u tinel y subje cted t o rac i a l sl u rs , ov er l oo ked f o r pr omot i ons an d t a rg e ted f or h ara ss men t . P ensacol a r e I l a z:tnu; n t - . ' . . • . __ -' - ; ' - 2 - -· : . , . . are p l aint i l ' fs t e su i t ag nst the Cit y of Pensa c ol a a nd P e n saco la Pr o f e s s i o na l Firef ight e rs Lo calCh a p t er 7 07. D i x on is speci f i call y m en ti one d in t he sui t, a s i sD eput y C h ief M el Waters , w ho C i t y Ma n a g e r ' I o m Bo n - field h as sa id p roba bly w i l l be come int er im hief w he n Di x onretir e s in A u gu s t . Last w eek , a ft e r a n ation wid e sea r ch for Di x on ' s re pl a c em e nt , Bo n - f ield r ejec t ed a l l fi v eofth e top a ppl i - cants , s ay in g n o n e w as t h e ri g ht f i t forPens a col a . . Bonfield said he had not made a fin a l de cisionon ' an in t er im chief , but Wat e r s w asal i ke ly pi ck be caus e he 's ' t he fir e o f ficia l most r esponsi b le for f ire suppress io n e ff o r t s a nd the one mo stfir e fig ht er s r e po r t t o . Di x onsa i d the all e g a t i o ns ou t lined in the blac k f i r efi gh t e r s ' l aw sui t a re o stlyliesand innu endo s . He a ck no w ledged . th at t her e were someinc i den t s of r aci s m i n the pa st but s ai d th e yw er e d ealt w i t h accord- in g to cit y po l ic y .Hea ls o said he has ne v er ' personally ma d e r a cis t com- ments , and a c a p t ain wh o made r a- c i a ll y off e n s i v e re : m . a r ks has retire d . T heir accusat ions are so o f fb as e d and SQ wrong , it w uld ta kemealo n g time to sort it ou t , Di x onsaid. Waters was no t av a ilable for com- ment . , H e s ai d h e , she d m ore f ir e- f i g ht e rs ha d c om efo r war d du r - i n g a U.S . Equa l Emp lo y m e nt Opportu n i t y C omm is sion . in to a llegations of r a c i al i s s ue s a t t he Fire Dep ar t m en t . That ca se w as dismi s s e d i n 2004 b ecau se o f a lac kofc on c l us i ve e v iden ce C ity Empl o y ee S e rv ices D ir ect o ; , M a ry An n St a lcup s a id . O f t h e r ou ghl y 1 20 fire fi g h te r s i n. the . deP a : tm eI t t , ab o ut 2 0 a re m inor i ty , D I X o n sa i d. - - - . s a id h ed i d no t w an t t o t a l k bo u tthe law s uit , H o w e v er, h e s ai dt he p l a inti ffs ' m ai n obj ec - t i v e is tobr i n g a bo ut f unda me n - t al changes i n t h e d epa rt me nt, a lth ough a n uns p e ci fi ed a m ou nt o f m oney i s b ei n g so u g ht. ' Until w e put the m o ne y pa rt in th e lawsui t , they w o uld n o t ev e n ackno w ledg e w h o we a r e he said . . ' . c o ul d no t b e . - . , ,< t c n e o . , Bonf ield w as i n budg e t mee t- i ngs all day W e d n esday a nd un a v a i lab l e f o r c omm en t . St a l cup s a i d t he ci ty ha s filed a m otio n t o d is m i s s t he fe d eral la ws ui t a nd is w aiti ng fo r a cou n te r- m o tio n f r o m th e pla intif fs' a t to rne y . W. edo n 't feel t h e r e are an y ments to t he case, s he sa i d. See . L AWSUlT S s . 4 A