A firefighter who claimed he was forced to attend a New York dentist's party that mocked Juneteeth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., reached a $150,000 settlement to resolve a lawsuit, according to news reports.
The City of Rochester has agreed to pay $75,000 to Jerrod Jones, a Black man who is on paid leave from the fire department, now and another $75,000 when he retires in four years, according to reports. The case stems from Jones' superior allegedly taking him to a racially insensitive party, which was hosted by Dr. Nicholas Nicosia, a dentist, and his wife, Mary Znidarsic-Nicosia, while he was on duty on July 7, 2022.
When Jones and other firefighters were taken to Nicosia's private mansion by his captain, Jeffrey Krywy, he claimed he was met with cutout figures of Donald Trump, Juneteenth flags, and buckets of fried chicken. Also, there were reportedly stakes and cornhole games in the backyard that displayed pictures of local Democratic politicians, according to reports.
In a joint statement, Jones and the city stated it was improper for Krywy, who retired from the fire department before he could be terminated, to take on-duty firefighters to the party, which involved "wholly inappropriate political and racial overtones."
The Nicosias made public comments claiming they were not racist and that their party was meant to poke liberals. However, at the time of these statements, Mary Znidarsic-Nicosia admitted making blatantly racist comments on an anonymous social platform X account.
The accusations against the dentist and his wife led them to lose spots on local boards, including the Highland Hospital Board of Directors. In August 2023, the couple filed a defamation lawsuit against local political officials after they criticized the party.
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