Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins has upheld an order for the Town of Brookline to reinstate firefighter Gerald Alston, after a Civil Service Commission ruled the town had wrongly fired him.
The town of Brookline appealed.
In an order dated August 02, 2019, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins denied the town’s appeal.
“On the facts found by the Commission, the Brookline Fire Department failed to create a racially fair environment and to eradicate the ongoing effects of racism within its ranks. It follows that there was no ‘just cause’ or that Alston’s termination for ‘unfitness’ was based upon the racially hostile environment, which was the main reason why this African American firefighter allegedly did not ‘fit’ in.”
Gerald Alston came forward to report a racial epithet left on his voicemail nearly a decade ago was fired in 2016.
A GoFundMe campaign had been started in support of Gerald here.
