A stuffed monkey found hanging by a noose Saturday at St. Louis Fire Department Firehouse 13 is connected to a pattern of harassment waged by a powerful member of Firefighters Local 73 against a black firefighter, according to the Firefighters Institute of Racial Equality.
The black firefighter, Romondo Battle, is stationed at Firehouse 13 (located at 1400 Shawmut in the city’s West End), where the monkey was found hanging.
His captain is Bruce Williams, a former president of Local 73 and member of the union’s powerful pension board who was disciplined in September 2002 for using the n-word while on-duty.
On September 21 of this year, Battle filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It complains that Williams repeatedly has harassed Battle over whether or not he lives in the City of St. Louis, as City firefighters are required by law.It further claims that on August 24, Battle ordered a unit of firefighters from Firehouse 13 to break into Battle’s dwelling downtown on S. 10th Street.According to Battle’s complaint, Williams ordered firefighters to check Battle’s house because he had not reported to duty or called in sick.
However, Battle claimed he called in sick at 6:30 a.m. that day to Firehouse 28, where he was assigned on Aug. 24. According to Battle’s complaint and a neighbor’s eyewitness account, Williams had Battle’s dwelling entered (through an open window) at approximately 1 p.m., long after Battle was supposed to report to work - and responding in a truck from Firehouse 13, which is nowhere near Battle’s downtown dwelling.“To break into somebody’s house - after there was a change in policy not to do that when a firefighter calls in sick - is beyond me,” said Wayne Luster, vice chairman of FIRE.“And for it to be downtown - that’s way out of their responding area at Firehouse 13, which tells me (Williams) purposely was trying to see if Battle lived in the city of St. Louis.”Battle hails from East St. Louis. He or any City firefighter would face termination if discovered to be living elsewhere than St. Louis city.
On Tuesday Williams was transferred from Firehouse 13 to Firehouse 31, according to department officials. Firehouse 31 is a quiet, southern engine house often requested by older white firefighters.
Black firefighters also claimed that the apparent hanging of the stuffed monkey - which has notably long legs and arms, like the lanky Battle - is related to Battle’s filing a complaint against his captain, Williams, who previously was disciplined for making a public, racist remark.
FIRE also connected the incident to the atmosphere in the department left by the demotion of Fire Chief Sherman George (the city’s first and only black fire chief) and promotion of Battalion Chief Dennis Jenkerson, a white member of Local 73, to replace him.
“How did we get to this hanging noose in an Engine House? We believe that as a result of the removal of this City’s first African-American fire chief, an energized atmosphere of defiant intolerance has been created,” said Captain Abe Pruitt, also a vice chair of FIRE.
“Because Fire Chief Sherman George was successfully forced out against the wishes of most of St. Louis, some firefighters have come to believe that it is ‘open season’ on African-American firefighters.”Local 73’s current president, Chris Molitor, told KMOV Channel 4 that the monkey had been found at a fire site, taken back to the station and hung to dry out.“
That’s hard to believe,” said Luster of FIRE.The FBI is investigating the situation.Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said he had no further comment other than that the FBI was investigating “and that’s what they are paid to do.”
Jenkerson declined to comment on the alleged harassment of Battle by Williams.Public Safety Director Charles Bryson told KMOV that all members of Firehouse 13 are being interviewed.Bryson hinted during a television interview that he was concerned that the incident could be a hoax, similar to ones perpetrated by black firefighters in other cities. This comment came before any report on an investigation.Bryson also said the apparent noose was just a rope that is used to practice tying knots. Molitor said nothing of the knot-tying rope in several televised interviews.
Bryson is a black man promoted to George’s superior when George was facing a publicly announced deadline to make a contested set of promotions or he would be disciplined. On the day he was promoted, Bryson said he would enforce that deadline.Neither Bryson nor mayoral spokesman Ed Rhode have returned calls or emails to the American in more than a month.Molitor did not respond to a request for comment from the American.
FIRE is calling for the following actions in regard to the incident:-- A federal investigation and “a thorough investigation on this issue as (Mayor Francis G. Slay) did with the African-American testing company, Blockett and Associates.-- Punishment for all parties responsible and a written message to each engine house that these types of acts will not be tolerated.-- FIRE being involved in all discussions on how the Fire Department moves forward.“The use of a monkey, the use of a noose, the hanging, and the North Side location (of Firehouse 13) make the perpetrator’s message crystal clear - hate and intimidation directed at African Americans,” said Pruitt of FIRE.“We at FIRE have said time and time again, unless and until the issues of race are dealt with head-on, honestly and with the inclusion of all parties, we as a city will continue experience these types of crimes.
”‘Sound the trumpet’The black community’s reaction to Slay’s actions against George led to a meeting of clergy members in preparation for a rally on Dec. 30.“It will be a ‘sound the trumpet’ rally and we expect to attract several thousand people to protest the mayor’s handling of Fire Chief George,” said Pastor B.T. Rice of New Horizon 7th Day Christian Church and a member of Citizens to Support Fire Chief George.“The community is calling on us to act and act strongly.”Also as continuing evidence of his respect in the community, George has been invited to serve as honorary grand marshal for the 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Parade to be held on January 21.
By Alvin A. Reid and Chris King Of the St. Louis American
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