Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
2 LI volunteer fire departments settle discrimination claims over Confederate flags
By
Herb Pinder
Published Mar 18, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
hxdbzxy/Getty Images
By
Herb Pinder
Published Mar 18, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Two volunteer fire departments on Long Island have agreed to stop displaying Confederate flags and symbols on their property, undergo state human rights law training and pay fines to settle claims they engaged in unlawful, discriminatory conduct, New York officials announced.
The Brookhaven and Levittown fire districts and departments agreed to remove Confederate flag depictions from their equipment, vehicles and apparel, including a Confederate flag on a Brookhaven fire truck and an image of a cartoon character holding a Confederate flag on Levittown vehicles and apparel, the state Human Rights Division said in a release Monday.
Brookhaven and Levittown, along with a third department, the Holbrook Fire District and Volunteer Department, also agreed to pay $28,000 in fines and settle additional claims they made unlawful inquiries of fire department applicants, including asking about their national origin and criminal history, the division said.
The state Human Rights Law prohibits professional or volunteer fire companies from discriminating against applicants because of their race, color, religion, national origin, marital status and other protected classes.
“People rely on emergency services like those provided by fire departments for help in moments of tremendous stress and danger ,” Denise Miranda, the Human Rights Division's acting commissioner, said in a statement. "When services like these display symbols of racism or maintain policies that unlawfully discriminate against people who may want to join the department, it damages public trust and harms communities.”
The Levittown and Holbrook departments declined comment, and the Brookhaven department did not immediately respond to phone calls and an email seeking comment. Their alleged conduct garnered scrutiny following complaints brought by, among others, members of the public who contacted the media after seeing the Confederate flags displayed. The division said the Confederate flag “is a historical symbol of racism and that its display” conveyed a discriminatory message to the public and discouraged prospective applicants from joining the departments.
The resolution of the complaints comes amid a shortage of volunteer firefighters across New York. Statewide, volunteer companies have lost approximately 40,000 members over the past 20 years, according to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York. Volunteer companies across the nation have experienced similar declines.
Holbrook unlawfully requested information about applicants’ national origin, religion and whether they had ever been charged with or convicted of a crime, according to the division’s complaint.
Brookhaven unlawfully stated that applicants had to be U.S. citizens, required applicants to disclose their citizenship status and inquired whether they had ever been charged with or convicted of a felony, according to the complaint.
Likewise, Levittown unlawfully requested information about applicants’ citizenship status, including whether they were a citizen by birth or naturalization, the Human Rights Division said. The jurisdiction also asked applicants to disclose their marital status and whether they had ever been charged with or convicted of a crime, according to the division.
Under the settlements, the departments agreed to amend their membership applications and comply with state law. They also agreed to participate in Human Rights Law training and remain under the division's review for three years to confirm their compliance on a semi-annual basis.
Tagged
new york state
brookhaven
Levittown
public safety
long island
civil rights
Holbrook
Race And Justice Unit
Herb Pinder
Herb is the editor of the Race & Justice unit. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-922-2497.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Bronx man wakes up to a $39K nightmare after online meetup at hotel, NYPD says
Police say a man fell asleep and woke up to find his cash, car and phone missing.
By
Charles Lane
Published Nov 4, 2026 at 4:43 p.m. ET
Brace for bus and bike lane boom following NYC ballot approval
Supporters and foes of street safety projects agree that more of them are now on the horizon.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Brace for bus and bike lane boom following NYC ballot approval
Supporters and foes of street safety projects agree that more of them are now on the horizon.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
NY appeals court strikes down Nassau County's ban on transgender athletes
By
Giulia Heyward
4 takeaways after Democrats’ big night in New York
By
Walter Wuthmann
and
Elizabeth Kim
NYC wins court fight over rollout of pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes
By
Giulia Heyward
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .