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October 29, 2009

Seven Points firefighter claims discrimination

By Art Lawler Staff Writer

SEVEN POINTS — Robert Lasiter, a black firefighter for the Seven Points Volunteer Fire Department, said Wednesday he was the victim of racial discrimination after he was placed on temporary inactive leave by the department. He also said he may sue the fire department.

He accuses Seven Points Mayor Gerald Taylor specifically for making him take two urinalysis tests in the same week, invalidating his first test by saying he didn’t “pee enough” to get an accurate reading.

“It’s because I’m black,” Lasiter said. “I’m the only black on the fire department.” Taylor says that’s not true, and that another black firefighting candidate is going through the process to join the department now.

Lasiter admits he was unable to urinate for about two hours before taking the follow-up test, saying it was because he has gout.

Taylor, the target of numerous challenges in recent weeks, denies any kind of discrimination against Lasiter.

“It’s just a temporary inactive leave until he can get his test done,” Taylor said.

Lasiter said he had already contacted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Association for Colored People (NAACP), and the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EOEC).

“I have a pre-paid legal attorney waiting on the investigation, so I can get a letter telling me I can sue the fire department,” he said.

Taylor shrugged off the latest allegation, saying he had himself tested recently, and that all new firefighters are tested randomly.

The problem with Lasiter’s test, he said, is that he went on his own to get the test, which he says he passed.

Department policy is that somebody has to accompany the person being tested to the site, to assure that nobody goes home, or somewhere else to cause a false reading of the test.

Taylor said a police officer accompanied Lasiter the first time, and he was unable to urinate for nearly two hours.

Lasiter told the Athens Review that he passed a random drug test, but that Taylor told him it wasn’t valid, and that he needed to take it again.

“He said I didn’t pee enough, so they couldn’t get the results,” Lasiter said. “But I got the little pink paper that shows where I passed.”

Taylor said the pink paper doesn’t show anything, except that he took the test. The positive and negative results are sent to the company or government entity doing the testing, he said.

Taylor added that Lasiter has taken three urinalysis tests at the ETMC Gun Barrel facility. He couldn’t urinate the first time either, Taylor said.

He went back a few hours later on his own,” the mayor said.

“That meant it wasn’t a random test,” said A.J. Kirksey, the Second Assistant Fire Chief. He was actually the person who went with Lasiter after Taylor ordered the re-test, not Taylor.

Kirksey said Lasiter chose to leave, saying he had other things to do.

“I sat with him for 2.5 hours, and I told him we could take all the time in the world,” Kirksey said. “But he said to hell with it. I told him if he left, I’d have to suspend him.

“He said the gout caused him not to pee. I told him to get a note from his doctor, which I haven’t seen yet.”

Fire Chief Joe Dobbs is conducting the investigation, but indicated earlier this week that if Lasiter passed a urinalysis test accompanied by fire department personnel, he would probably be reinstated.

“A human being has got to pee, I don’t care what he’s got,” Kirksey said. “He’s a good boy, and a good firefighter. But we have a zero-tolerance policy.”

Kirksey was clearly irked by the charges of racism. “They’re totally false,” he said. “I’m especially for the little guy. Robert is a good firefighter, and he’s smart as a whip.

“But if he wants to stay on the department, the tests can’t be at his leisure. If he had an accident in our fire truck, we are the ones who have to answer for that,” Kirksey said.

Taylor said he was willing to cooperate with Lasiter.

“He told me that if he had a beer, he could pee just fine,” Taylor said. “So I offered to take him to get some beer before we went back the next time. If that’s all he needs, I’m willing to do that.”

The department has already been under investigation from the FBI on previous charges by a former fire department volunteer, Michael Forbes, who questioned whether or not Taylor had the right to take city equipment to his home, and use it “improperly” for personal use.

The FBI has shown up to confiscate records from Seven Points Fire Department and Seven Points City Hall on three different occasions since that time.

So far, they’ve made no announcements about what they’re looking for, and no indictments have been issued.

“I’m wondering if I’m the only person they’re picking on,” Lassiter said. “ I talked to the Chief, and he said the mayor thought I was dirty. They thought I put something in my body to try to clean it up in two hours.”

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