By FireRescue1 Staff
PENSACOLA, Fla. — A black fire captain filed a second racial discrimination lawsuit against the city, claiming he is treated differently than a white firefighter.
Pensacola News Journal reported that Pensacola Fire Department Captain Derek Streeter was part of a group of African-American firefighters who first sued the city in 2003 for promotion discrimination.
Capt. Streeter claimed that James Hobbs, a white firefighter, was automatically promoted to battalion chief without the proper promotional process when a vacancy opened up in 2013. Capt. Streeter also claimed that Hobbs was promoted the next year without the position being advertised.
Capt. Streeter also claimed that when he was a battalion chief, in 2016, his contract was broken to give others the chance to apply for the position, something that was not done when Hobbs was in the same rank. Capt. Streeter applied for the position but he said it was given to a white firefighter with less experience.
The last claim in the lawsuit said Capt. Streeter experienced emotional distress, loss of benefits, embarrassment and humiliation as a result of the demotion.