Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

FDNY Chief of Diversity Fired After Less than 1 Year on the Job: Reports

By Sybile Penhirin | October 8, 2015 5:25pm | Updated on October 8, 2015 6:55pm
 Pamela Lassiter, the FDNY Chief of Diversity and Inclusion Officer, was let go less than a year after being appointed, according to reports.
Pamela Lassiter, the FDNY Chief of Diversity and Inclusion Officer, was let go less than a year after being appointed, according to reports.
View Full Caption
FDNY

NEW YORK CITY —  The recently appointed FDNY Chief of Diversity was let go only eight months after being sworn-in, according to reports. 

Pamela Lassiter — the very first FDNY Chief of Diversity and Inclusion Officer whose job was to make sure the department's recruitment and diversity initiatives complied with the city's guidelines — was appointed last January only to be let go last week, the Daily News reported on Thursday. 

FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer would not confirm the termination. 

FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro also did not confirm the termination but in a statement said his department has made "significant progress" during the last year towards becoming more inclusive.

"Our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive Department has never been stronger and will continue to be a key strategic initiative," Nigro added.

No one answered the phone at Lassiter's office on Thursday and voicemails were not returned. 

Lassiter's position was created after the city paid nearly $100 million to settle a federal lawsuit charging that the FDNY's hiring process was discriminatory against minority applicants. 

At the time the suit was filed in 2007, 3.4 percent of city firefighters were black and less than 7 percent were Hispanic, according to reports.

The federal lawsuit against the city was filed in 2007 by the Vulcan Society, a fraternal organization of black firefighters. 

The agency has since increased its diversity numbers. As of 2013, 10 percent of the department is black, 12 percent is Hispanic and 2 percent is Asian, according to a department report.