November 23, 2025
Black firefighter Patrick Thomas claims a colleague targeted him with a noose and repeated slurs.
A Bloomfield, New Jersey, firefighter has launched a $25 million federal lawsuit accusing the township, fire department leadership, and a fellow firefighter of racially motivated intimidation—allegations that center on the repeated appearance of a noose inside the firehouse.
Patrick Thomas, one of only four Black firefighters in a fire department of nearly 80, first went public in December 2023, stating that his colleague, veteran firefighter Walter Coffey, confronted him with a rope tied into a noose while on duty. Thomas recalled Coffey handing him the rope and saying, “I want you to figure out what kind of knot this is.”
As reported by Patch, Thomas said he immediately recognized the intent. “This is a noose,” he told Coffey. “This is what people used to hang my ancestors from trees.”
According to the complaint, the incident wasn’t isolated. Thomas alleges that just a week earlier, Coffey told him about another noose upstairs before a training class. Attorneys also say Coffey—employed by the department for roughly 25 years—has repeatedly used the N-word around Black firefighters without facing discipline.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office investigated and ultimately charged and indicted Coffey for bias intimidation. Coffey was suspended without pay after the November 2023 report and remains on unpaid leave while the township moves toward termination.
Thomas’ lawsuit seeks millions in damages for what his attorneys describe as “loss of liberty, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of property, costs and expenses, and other damages and injuries.”
Bloomfield Mayor Jenny Mundell addressed the lawsuit this week, saying the township “reaffirms its zero tolerance stance” toward racism.
“The Township of Bloomfield takes seriously its responsibility to ensure a safe and respectful workplace for all employees,” Mundell said. “There is absolutely no place for racist conduct or discrimination of any kind … and such behavior will be met with swift accountability.”
She emphasized that officials referred the case to law enforcement immediately and took departmental action the same day it was reported. “Walter Coffey remains on unpaid suspension and has not been permitted to return to duty,” she said, noting that his indictment underscores that “racist conduct will not be tolerated in Bloomfield.”
Mundell added that while litigation brought by Thomas limits what the township can publicly discuss, its values remain clear: “Racial harassment not only violates the law, it violates our core commitments to safety, dignity, and respect.”
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