New Haven Fire Lieutenant Suspended for Alleged Racist Remark

NEW HAVEN – A Fire Department lieutenant who allegedly posted a racial slur on Facebook was removed from the Morris Cove fire station and now is serving a 15-day unpaid suspension.

Fire Lt. Kevin Owens allegedly posted the comment “in the U.S. we call them (racial epithet),” in response to a story posted in the Facebook group “English and Proud.” The headline of the story is “Wake up England! Chased by Muslims with machetes, South Yorkshire police don’t want to know!”

Fire Chief Allyn Wright acted swiftly after a screenshot of the comment began circulating in the Fire Department. Owens was removed from his post Monday and asked to speak with Wright in his office Tuesday. They were joined by union President James Kottage.

During that meeting, Kottage said that Owens, a 20-year veteran of the department, neither affirmed nor denied posting the slur. Either way, he was given the maximum suspension sentence that the chief can bestow — 15 days — as well as a referral to the Board of Fire Commissioners.

“Any behavior like this is unacceptable,” Kottage said. “I applaud the chief in his quick action in taking Kevin out of the firehouse and taking him up to office and issuing discipline immediately.”

The fire commissioners can decide to discipline Owens further with extra suspension days or, if they choose to do so, schedule a termination hearing and go after his job.

Owens is eligible for retirement, as he has served for more than 20 years.

“Racially offensive behavior of any kind is intolerable in a city as diverse as New Haven — and anywhere in 21st century America for that matter — particularly among those who represent the city as employees,” Mayor Toni N. Harp said in a release Wednesday. “When it flares up, as it has again this week, it underscores the need for additional cultural sensitivity training, strict social media policies, and simple interpersonal respect.”

The New Haven Firebirds Society, a local organization of black and Hispanic firefighters, gathered Wednesday morning at Dixwell Fire Station to “condemn his words” and to push for a department- wide social media policy.

Vice President Darrell Brooks said he went through the academy and worked with Owens.

“I’d never heard him use that word. We’ve had conversations and so, for him to use that word in the context that he used it on social media says to me that it was a part of him in his heart and the fabric of who he is,” Brooks said.

Brooks said that seeing this Facebook post, coming from someone he knew, raised questions in his mind about who else in the department might be thinking that way.

“We have to go into your homes. We have to serve your wives, your husbands, your children at a very critical time. When you call the fire department you call because of a crisis. When we show up we have to do so without regard to race, religion or any other issue,” he said.

Firebirds President William Augustine said that it is especially problematic because Owens is in a position of authority.

“It causes problems internally with him being an authority, especially with minority firefighters. Knowing that he feels that way about minorities causes a hostile work environment,” Augustine said.

The Rev. Boise Kimber, pastor of the First Calvary Churches of New Haven and Hartford, joined the Firebirds Wednesday. Kimber, a former fire commissioner, said that the entire department should go through cultural diversity training.

“You train to get on the job, why can’t you train to get along with each other?” he asked.

While the Firebirds wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that a firefighter should lose his job, they did say that he should no longer be in a position of authority.

Kimber, however, didn’t mince words.

“I think the individual ought to be terminated and then he ought to fight to get his job back if that’s the case. We can no longer tolerate it,” Kimber said.

Reach Ryan Flynn at 203-680-9962.