New Haven firefighter injured on the job sues city to return to work
By Jay Kenney and Marcy Jones
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NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (WFSB) — A New Haven Fire Department lieutenant who was severely hurt on the job filed a lawsuit against the city.
Lt. Samod Rankins filed the civil suit on Monday. It said that Rankins was unjustly passed over for promotion and not allowed to return to work, despite being medically cleared.
Rankins was critically injured in 2021 during a fire on Valley Street. It was the same fire that killed fellow firefighter Ricardo Torres Jr.
Rankins said he was discriminated against as the only African-American eligible lieutenant candidate who awaited a promotion to captain.
The department said it couldn’t comment on the case, but released a statement.
Lieutenant Rankins’s service as a New Haven firefighter is to be commended. The fire department looks forward to him returning to work at the appropriate time.
New Haven Fire Department
Rankins is being represented by an attorney in East Haven. The local firefighter’s union is also involved.
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