Lawsuit Alleges Discrimination at Wilmington Fire Department

A firefighter in Delaware is accusing the Wilmington Fire Department of years of racial and religious discrimination that he says created a hostile work environment.

The News Journal reported that the lawsuit was filed in federal court by veteran firefighter Corey Ferrell.

Ferrell is Black and a practicing Muslim. He alleges that high-ranking officials as well as other firefighters used racial epithets. He also says that they played the “Aladdin theme song” whenever he would go to pray and snuck pork products in his coffee and turnout gear.

The city declined to comment to the News Journal. It said that its law department is reviewing the lawsuit.

The department’s racial makeup is overwhelmingly white and male. Wilmington is a city with a population that is nearly 60% Black.

Ferrell’s lawsuit said he tried to resolve issues by filing complaints with human resources and compliance officials. But the suit said that little was done to address the problems.