A federal judge in Brooklyn has come under fire for suggesting that the heckling of New York Attorney General Letitia James by firefighters was motivated by race rather than politics. Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York made the comments last month while addressing complaints about the New York City Fire Department's handling of equal opportunity issues.
The controversy arose after Regina Wilson, president of the Vulcan Society of Black firefighters, told the court that James had been booed and subjected to chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump" while speaking at a firefighter promotion ceremony on March 7. Wilson said the incident was evidence of deep-seated problems within the department.
"This behavior is who this department is. Not all of them, but a large portion of them," Wilson said. "So when Black people go to work and have to deal with this and you don't get any help or support really from the department, it's horrific."
Judge Garaufis responded by expressing shock at the heckling and asserting that it was rooted in racial bias. "I've lived in New York City all my life. I know what the problem is. And believe me, front and center is what happened the other day. This doesn't have to do with politics, this has to do with race," he said.
The judge's comments have drawn criticism from some quarters, with Republican Secretary of State candidate Valentina Gomez of Missouri taking to social media to defend the firefighters. "These heroes that run into burning buildings, and save lives, are being suppressed by a tyrant government in New York City," Gomez wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "When I'm Secretary of State in Missouri, I will happily higher these brave heroes. Freedom of speech will never be suppressed."
Legal analyst Phil Holloway also weighed in on the controversy, posting on X: "New York judge says FDNY booing of Letitia James, pro-Trump chants not about politics, 'has to do with race. Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis sees the entire world through one and only one lens."
The incident has put a spotlight on tensions within the FDNY, with the firefighters' union reportedly chastising some members for their behavior at the event featuring James. The attorney general has been a prominent figure in recent years for her investigations into former President Donald J. Trump, including a recently successful business fraud lawsuit against him.
In the wake of the controversy, the FDNY has faced questions about its handling of the matter. On March 14, a department spokesperson told that there was no investigation into the booing, but internal messages reported by the media seemed to suggest otherwise. "Beginning today, deputy chiefs will visit each company in attendance to discuss the events and offer members the opportunity to come forward," one message read. "Additionally, they may make members aware that the Department is in possession of video footage of the event."
FDNY spokesman James Long told that Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and the department were "committed to providing a professional work environment free of discrimination and harassment for all Department employees, which is why we continue to work with our city partners so we can effectively re-staff the EEO office."
