MELBOURNE, Fla. – An attorney representing a Jewish firefighter showed a picture of his client’s colleague wearing a mustache and displaying a salute synonymous with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany while wearing a Melbourne Fire Department polo during work.
Attorney Daniel Perez shared the picture another firefighter took of the battalion chief Jody Kahler.
“It’s 2023. This should not be happening in the workplace,” Perez said.
Perez represents Aaron Starkey, who he said filed a federal complaint about Kahler’s picture.
On Monday, News 6 obtained Starkey’s history of discrimination complaints and retaliation alleged against the Melbourne Fire Department.
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“I am Jewish and I found Kahler’s gesture extremely offensive,” Starkey wrote to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding the picture in question. “On or about November 21, 2022, I complained about this to my Union President, Ryan Young, and he said the union would file a grievance and take it to counsel. However, the union never did anything.”
News 6 wasn’t able to reach the union for comment when calling on Tuesday.
Two years ago, a county firefighter was photographed wearing blackface while off-duty at a Halloween party. Jake Johnson was fired following an investigation.
Now, he city of Melbourne said in a statement Monday that any employees found to have broken policy could be terminated as well.
“We believe that Aaron’s situation is more egregious because all of these actions were done in the workplace and presumably, aided and abetted by coworkers all in upper management,” Perez said.
Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey said the investigation will be addressed during the city manager’s report at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
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