Suffolk Fire Departments Settle Discrimination Complaints: State

LONG ISLAND, NY — Two Suffolk fire districts have settled complaints related to membership discrimination, and one for the display of the Confederate flag on government property, the state Division of Human Rights said.

Complaints previously received about the display of the Confederate flag on the property of the Brookhaven and Levittown fire departments, and under the terms of the settlement agreements, officials agreed to remove all displays or depictions of the symbol, and adopted policies prohibiting the use of this symbol in the future, according to the agency.

A complaint was filed after a Confederate Flag was flown on a Brookhaven fire truck in a parade in 2020, and hung inside the Levittown Fire Department up until 2018, authorities said.

Multiple complaints were also filed against the fire districts and fire departments of Brookhaven, Holbrook, and Levittown regarding discriminatory membership policies and application materials in use by the respondents, the agency said.

Complaints charged districts and departments with unlawfully requesting and considering information about applicants’ national origin, religion, and other protected classes as part of the application process, according to the agency.

Patch has reached out to the Brookhaven and Holbrook fire districts.

In a 2021 interview, attorney Joseph Frank, who represented the Brookhaven Fire District, told Patch that the department embraces "the diversity of our community" and supports "efforts to make the fire service and our society more inclusive."

After the flag incident, the department denounced it, saying that it was unauthorized and the department member, as well as another riding in the truck with him, resigned, Frank said.

“If they had asked for permission, it would not have been granted,” he added.

The department is working with the Suffolk County Division of Human Rights on a sensitivity training program so all members “understand the concepts behind why certain objects are considered symbols of hate and have no place in fire departments and other governmental entities,” Frank said.

Under the terms of the settlement agreements in these cases, the districts and departments agreed to amend their membership applications and policies to comply with the state's Human Rights Law, the agency stated.

In the settlement agreements, which were concluded between July 2024 and January 2025, all respondents agreed to take part in training on Human Rights Law and to pay civil fines to the state of totaling $28,000.

Division of Human Rights Acting Commissioner Denise Miranda noted that people rely on emergency services like those provided by fire departments for help in moments of tremendous stress and danger."

“When services like these display symbols of racism or maintain policies that unlawfully discriminate against people who may want to join the department, it damages public trust and harms communities," she said. "Hate and discrimination have no place in New York State, and the Division of Human Rights will continue using every available tool to hold violators of the Human Rights Law accountable.”

The fire districts will remain subject to ongoing review by the Division of Human Rights to confirm their compliance with the terms of their respective settlement agreements for three years on a semi-annual basis, according to the agency.

If any of the districts do not comply with the settlement agreement, the division may initiate further proceedings to enforce compliance and seek additional penalties.