By FireRescue1 Staff
NEW YORK — An FDNY paramedic who says he was passed over for a promotion to the rescue medic squad filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the department.
Edwin Tweedy, 64, claims he was disqualified for the job in 2016 by FDNY Dr. Dario Gonzalez, who “arbitrarily” canceled his interview after Tweedy passed the written exam and physical agility test, according to NY Post.
“I’m in better shape than most of my colleagues. Better qualified than most,” Tweedy said.
Tweedy’s lawsuit said he “was denied the post because of his age.”
“It has to be age, because everything else, I passed,” Tweedy said. “I don’t get it.”
Tweedy filed a complaint that claimed the rejection was discriminatory, and resigned from the department when nothing happened.
“I lost my appetite for the fire department,” Tweedy said.
The lawsuit claims that FDNY has “created a culture where age factored into or controlled hiring decisions, rather than establishing and utilizing hiring practices designed to identify and hire those candidates having the best credentials and professional qualifications.”