Local Firefighter Says He was Forced to Attend Racist Party While on Duty

A 14-year veteran of the Rochester Fire Department, Jerrod Jones, has come forward and plans to sue RFD and the city of Rochester after he said he was forced to attend a party last month that mocked Juneteenth. Jones filed a claim that he was working a regular shift on July 7 when his captain, Jeffrey Kryway brought him and two other firefighters to a party at a private mansion on East Avenue. There, Jones said he was greeted by cut-outs of Donald Trump, Juneteenth flags, buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken, pictures of local Democratic politicians were placed on stakes across the backyard, and a woman wearing a red wig was performing for attendees, impersonating Democratic County Legislator Rachel Barnhart, while the crowd shouted sexually explicit comments.

Jones stated: “It means a lot to me when I put that uniform on and I’ve always wanted to represent my city in a correct manner, in a decent manner, in an honorable manner, and what I had to experience a month ago, it cut me very deeply…I have two children who maybe one day will aspire to be firefighters and I don’t want them to experience what I experienced. I wouldn’t want your kids to experience that. I’m sorry to have to even be here today but in order for things to change we have to do difficult things and one of those difficult things is speaking up against a department that you love with everything in you.”

Source: 13 Wham