New Haven Register
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Several firefighters and other residents held a silent protest at the aldermanic Public Safety Committee meeting Tuesday night, after not being put on the agenda to discuss their concerns about the Fire Department.
In a Sept. 5 letter, the Greater New Haven NAACP asked to be added to the agenda, citing concerns about “the procedural mishandling, and conduct of Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Egan relative to the administrative investigation of the Aaron Brantley case.”
Brantley, a former city firefighter, was fired following his conviction in Superior Court for attempted bribery of a witness. Brantley was accused of offering a bribe to a witness in exchange for testifying favorably in his Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities claim against the fire department. Brantley claimed in the complaint that he was subjected to discrimination after he suffered an on-duty shoulder injury.
Brantley, who was sentenced in August to one year in jail, suspended after he serves nine months, and a year of probation, is appealing his conviction. Brantley maintained that any bribe offer was a joke.
In addition to representatives from the NAACP, several firefighters joined Brantley at the meeting.
When asked why the group wasn’t put on the agenda, Brian Wingate, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said, “There is a process to go through.” The city has to follow rules and timeframes for publishing agendas in advance.
The public was only allowed to comment on items on the committee’s agenda.
Wingate said it isn’t totally up to him whether the issue will be put on the group’s next meeting agenda in October. The Board of Aldermen assigns issues to subcommittees.
Wingate noted that Attorney W. Martyn Philpot Jr. is conducting an investigation into disciplinary actions within the Fire Department, and city officials hope to get information from him soon.
“There is an investigation in reference to the Fire Department, looking at all discipline,” Wingate said.
In November 2013, the Board of Aldermen retained Philpot to investigate the manner in which discipline is administered in the Fire Department, a letter from Philpot to the board shows.
Officials noted the city Fire Commission fired Brantley, not the Public Safety Committee.
In its letter, the NAACP requested an independent investigation into whether Egan engaged in “impermissible discriminatory or harassing employment practices,” such as whether or not Egan “attempted to coerce” confidential medical information from Brantley’s physician in 2011.
“We believe a new independent investigation will help to mitigate the potential risk of mishandling future administrative investigations,” the letter states.
Lt. Gary Tinney, member of the Firebirds of New Haven, said he was upset they weren’t put on Tuesday night’s agenda.
“We are asking for an outside investigation,” he said.
Those who attended the silent protest said Philpot has yet to contact or question them for any investigation. Philpot could not be reached for comment Tuesday night on the investigation’s status.
Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP branches, said those attending were hoping for an opportunity to address the committee.
“This young man was arrested and his family is in jeopardy — it is a huge economic burden,” Esdaile said. “All we are asking is for those in authority to do their due diligence. We aren’t clear on what they are investigating.”
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