Black FDNY Electrician Finds Noose In His Locker

In December, FDNY electrician Gregory Seabrook (a black man) filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights, saying that the FDNY overlooks minority electricians for overtime. And on Thursday, he arrived to his Brooklyn FDNY locker to find a noose inside. Unfortunately, this sounds all too familiar.

Seabrook's understated lawyer Stephen Jackson told the Daily News, "There's an ominous message behind it," and says the noose was tied with a monkey knot, which "was a type of weapon used as a flogging knot to beat slaves. It's very thick and very hard and it's designed to cause injuries." Jackson plans on handing the 3-foot noose to the authorities today.

The City Law Department says it's investigating the incident, but this is not the first time the FDNY has been accused of some act of racism or discrimination. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found in Lanaird Granger's favor after he found a noose in his locker in 2005, but nobody at the firehouse was ever disciplined.

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By Jaya Saxena in News on February 7, 2011 2:07 PM

Comments [rss]

Peanut_Butter

Didn't the lawyer's "noose" have both a hoop as well as a monkey's fist knot? If so, why both? You either use it to knock someone over the head or to hang someone. To have both would seem inconsistent and would diminish from the credibility of the plaintiff's story.

Yahtzee

The incident in 2005 was found to be a lie as well. Funny how he's suing for racist practices then magically finds a noose in his locker.

WetButt

Reminds me of that Columbia University professor who found a noose on her door and then...oh wait

MakeSureYouPayYourTaxesToObama

White New Yorkers like to pretend that racism in this city doesn't exist.

It's alright though...Judgment Day will be here in little under a year.

ShawnSpawn

nah, white nyers, like most nyers, just have a low pity + tolerance for whiners

Kreo

I have just found a very graphic picture of a noose in my browser! I am so suing Gothamist! Wait, I am white.

SC15

Is there proof someone else left it there? His lawyer's description of it just sounds too perfectly prepared.

Maybe it's all true, maybe someone else did it, but the Madonna Constantine noose incident makes me wary of taking a story like this at face value.

Merf Derf

I would not be quick to assume that either side is telling the truth

FU Boy

One point: you can't really tie a noose with a monkey's fist knot. It wouldn't be a functional noose. Maybe a monkey's fist at the end of the loose bit of rope - that I'd buy.

Cultural note: The ball-whacking torture scene in Casino Royale features a Monkey's Fist knot. If you want a visual for what that thing can do.

xgeyiph772

I guess the FDNY post-9/11 lovefest is over. Let the homophobic racist firemen back out to slam metal chairs over each others' heads!

ih8bloomturd

Faster..this has nothi g to do with firemen..the electricians are not stationed in firehouses..as for the last time this supposedly happened in a firehouse it was found to be false...believe me not first time gothamist didn't get a story 100%correct