Jones said he thought he was attending a community event and was immediately concerned when he arrived at the party where he noticed a large cutout of former President Donald Trump as well as two large June flags with buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken. prominently displayed,” according to the filing. When Jones expressed concern that it was a private party, the affidavit noted, his captain, Jeffrey Krywy, assured him and two other on-duty colleagues that it was an outdoor event in their area. Jones also said the commander wanted him and his colleagues in uniform. At a news conference last week with his attorney, Jones said while he wished he didn’t have to speak out publicly against the fire department he loves, he felt he had to in order to change things. “It means a lot to me when I put on that uniform and I’ve always wanted to represent my city the right way, the right way, the right way,” Jones said. “And what I had to go through a month ago cut me very deep.” According to the notice of claim, Jones said he reported the incident the day after the party, but was assigned to work with Creevey in the following days, leaving him “in disbelief.” The notice of claim also said Jones subsequently took a leave of absence and is “suffering emotional distress and fear of retaliation” under pressure from several firefighters “including elected officials” to remain silent. The notice alleges a claim under the New York Human Rights Act that Jones was discriminated against and subjected to a hostile work environment based on his race. Rochester Mayor Malik Evans issued a statement Tuesday saying an internal investigation into the allegations has been completed and that Krywy has decided to retire before termination proceedings begin against him. On Friday, Aug. 12, Krywy was served with the investigation’s decision requiring him to resign, according to the mayor’s office. As of Monday, he chose to retire before termination proceedings began, the mayor’s office said in a statement. CNN could not reach Krywy or his attorney for comment. He was not named as a defendant in the claim. In response to Evans’ statement, Jones’ attorney, Nate McMurray, tweeted Tuesday that it was “disturbing” that the mayor’s statement came only after Jones went public with the incident. There are no specific changes that guarantee it will never happen again. And my client remains at risk, subject to threats and a hostile workplace, just years away from a well-earned retirement,” McMurray said in another tweet. The claim also said Jones saw pictures of various local Democratic lawmakers on stakes around the yard. One of the other firefighters named in the allegation reportedly expressed regret for attending the party and told Jones the group should not have been there. According to the notice of claim, firefighters are not allowed to attend partisan political events based on department rules. The notice of claim alleges that Krywy was fully engaged with the party, its hosts and guests and ordered the three firefighters not to take pictures. Rochester’s firefighters union issued a statement on Twitter last week before the city’s internal investigation concluded Friday saying they found the allegations about the party “extremely troubling.” “Our union has zero tolerance for racist behavior and attitudes, whether on or off the job,” the statement said. “We will await the findings and details of a full investigation into this matter before making further comment or taking responsive action.” At last week’s news conference, Jones said he spoke out because he felt compelled to do the right thing. “Traditionally at the fireplace we handle things like a family does, inside the house,” Jones said. “Things don’t show up in the public eye, but every once in a while something happens that can’t be handled at home. This is one of those things. This is one of those times.”
