Other Black firefighters who endured similar treatment in the Winston-Salem Fire Department recently brought their complaints before the city.
The grievance they filed in October calls for Chief William “Trey” Mayo to be fired for failing to discipline white firefighters who, the group said, have created a hostile work environment through comments in person and on social media.
Across the country, firefighters are confronting incidents of racism and discrimination as part of a burgeoning movement to call out and address racial injustice in America.
Two Black women sued the city of Denver in September, saying its fire department discriminated against them because of their gender and race.
Almost right away, she said, other firefighters stole her food and took her uniforms out of her personal space.