A Bloomfield, New Jersey firefighter is suing the township, its fire department, its chief, and a 23-year veteran firefighter for $25 million, alleging that a deeply racist act — involving a noose fashioned out of a training rope — created a hostile work environment and exposed systemic failures inside the department.

The lawsuit, filed by Firefighter Patrick Thomas, accuses fellow firefighter Walter Coffey of bias intimidation and racially motivated harassment during a rope-and-knot training session in November 2023, when Coffey allegedly tied a noose, tossed it at Thomas, and asked him to identify the knot.

“I know exactly what this is. This is a noose. This is what people used to hang my ancestors from trees,” Thomas responded, according to the complaint.

Coffey — per the suit — laughed.

Nearly two years later, Thomas says the trauma remains, Coffey is still technically employed, and the township’s internal discipline process remains unfinished. The lawsuit claims that the department’s slow response, failure to protect him, and continuation of Coffey’s employment created an unsafe, racist environment unfit for public service workers who depend on one another for their lives.

The Incident: A Training Drill Turns Into a Racial Flashpoint

According to the lawsuit, Thomas and other firefighters were participating in routine rope-and-knot training — standard practice in most fire departments — when Coffey allegedly shaped the rope into a noose and threw it at him.

The suit says Coffey taunted him:

“I want you to figure out what kind of knot this is.”

When Thomas confronted him, Coffey allegedly continued to laugh, minimizing the historical violence of the symbol — one that evokes America’s legacy of lynching, white terrorism, and racial intimidation.

Thomas says the incident left him shaken and humiliated, especially in a workplace where teamwork and trust are essential for survival. His lawsuit asserts that Bloomfield Township allowed a racially hostile culture to fester, failing to distance itself from Coffey quickly and decisively.

Township Says It Acted Immediately — With a Different Story

Bloomfield’s mayor, Jenny Mundell, released a forceful statement pushing back on any claim that the township dragged its feet or dismissed the seriousness of the incident.

According to Mundell, Bloomfield:

Referred the matter to law enforcement immediately

Suspended Coffey without pay

Began the termination process the same day the misconduct was reported

Barred Coffey from returning to duty at any point since

“Racist conduct will not be tolerated in Bloomfield,” Mundell said.

She emphasized that the township moved “decisively,” and that disciplinary processes — including termination — must follow NJ state labor law and union rules, which can slow down final outcomes.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office later indicted Coffey on bias intimidation, and he remains suspended.

Why Thomas Says This Isn’t Enough

Despite the criminal charges and suspension, Thomas argues in his lawsuit that:

Coffey remains an employee on the books

The township has failed to protect Black firefighters

The internal investigation has been “unreasonably delayed”

The fire chief did not create a safe workspace free of racial harassment

The culture enabled or ignored racism

He has suffered emotional distress, career harm, and unsafe working conditions

Thomas is seeking $25 million in damages for emotional anguish, discrimination, harassment, and the department’s alleged failure to provide a safe environment.

His lawsuit also hints at wider cultural issues, suggesting the department may have tolerated racially charged behavior long before the noose incident surfaced.

Legal Stakes: Noose Incidents Carry Heavy Weight

In the United States, a noose used in a racial context is one of the strongest visual symbols of anti-Black terror — used frequently by extremist groups as both a threat and a provocation.

Courts have consistently ruled that:

Displaying a noose in the workplace can constitute racial harassment

Employers have a legal duty to act immediately and protect the targeted employee

Delay in discipline or inadequate responses can expose departments to liability

The intensity of the symbol gives Thomas strong legal footing, attorneys say. Multiple juries nationwide have awarded multi-million-dollar verdicts in similar cases.

Firehouse Culture Under a National Microscope

The case has already begun reigniting a broader conversation about racism inside fire departments — institutions traditionally dominated by white, legacy-based hiring pipelines, often resulting in insular cultures slow to reform.

Across the country there have been:

Nooses found in firehouses

Black firefighters alleging hostile work environments

Reports of racist jokes, “pranks,” and slurs

Legal complaints over discriminatory promotions and shift assignments

Experts say these incidents reflect the lingering structural racism within many fire service cultures, where the intense bonding and hierarchical structure can make it difficult for minority firefighters to speak out — or feel safe doing so.

What Happens Next

Coffey faces criminal prosecution and potential civil liability.
Bloomfield faces a multi-million-dollar discrimination lawsuit.
Thomas says he wants accountability — and structural change.

The township, for its part, insists Coffey is gone for good once the legal process concludes.

A court date has not yet been set.

The Bigger Picture: A Noose Is Never “Just a Knot”

For Thomas, the issue goes far beyond workplace conflict. The lawsuit describes a moment that evokes generations of racial terror — a symbol used by mobs, white supremacists, and hate groups to intimidate, silence, and murder Black Americans.

To him, the laughter wasn’t just disrespect.
It was dehumanization.

And the firehouse — a place built on trust, brotherhood, and reliance — became a reminder that for many Black Americans, even institutions dedicated to public safety can harbor deep, unspoken dangers.