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Loading ...NYC firefighter settles lawsuit for $3.75M
12.04.2008 1:37pm EST
(New York City) A New York City firefighter, critically injured when a colleague hit him with a metal chair during a firehouse fight, has reached a $3.75 million settlement with the city.
Robert Walsh, who was attacked by Michael Silvestri, testified at his federal lawsuit trial that the attack on New Year’s Eve in 2003 was the culmination of nearly two years of anti-gay slurs from his fellow firefighter.Spokeswoman Kate Ahlers says the city’s law department is pleased that the matter has been resolved.
Walsh’s lawyer did not return calls for comment, but his co-counsel also confirmed the settlement.
Former firefighter Michael Silvestri pleaded guilty to assault in 2006 after hitting Walsh, and served a year in jail. He previously told the New York Post, “I am not a gay basher. I have plenty of gay friends – I’m the most liberal guy you’d ever meet.”
Just like the republicans who turn everything inside out. They lie so much they don’t know the meaning of truth.
“He had his clique of people. I had my clique of people,” Walsh recalled of Silvestri, who was assigned to Engine Co. 151 in early 2002.
“Originally he’d do it to get a quick laugh,” Walsh said. “Then it got vicious.
“And I’m not (gay),” Walsh noted.
Although anti-gay slurs were part of the banter at the Tottenville firehouse, Walsh tried to ignore the taunts.
“I’m a big guy, I can handle myself. I just don’t think I should have to justify comments like that,” he said.
“You go to your captain and ask for help, you’re a bigger (bleep) for asking for help,” Walsh added.
(uh, I imagine the word bleeped out in the report was FAGGOT)
…Still, no mention was made, in the article above, that the victim was straight — not that it makes a difference. Yet, it does put it in a different perspective. Even Walsh professed a stereotypical view of gay people in his reaction to why he didn’t ask for the harassment to stop.
READ: http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1227273322205460.xml&coll=1&thispage=2
Unless I missed something or a lot of things, this is the first I’m hearing about this being a gay bashing. It was originally reported as a drunken brawl, an attempted cover up by the company commander which cost that captain his job. The story I got was that Walsh put in for the day off and got it,someone went sick in the battalion and the aide used the only standby. Someone else went sick and the battalion aide ordered
Walsh to work, but since he had been granted the day off he worked at the overtime rate. Silvestri apparently thought that Walsh was “getting over” or Silvestri was the standby ordered to work? Or too drunk to figure it out?
See, perfectly understandable. Much better that admitting a firefighter is gay or that firefighters could be gay bashers, both verbally and physically. Times change but things remain the same. Guess I’ll have to take a metal chair to the next company party in case I have to defend myself from some of my brothers!
No more Mr. Nice Gay! Kill them all! God will know its own!
wow, if your not a gay basher, then your something… after all the metal chair didnt make it to his head without force
Nothing like a “liberal minded” gay basher via metal chair as a weapon of choice!
Yep, back of the bus…or even should be ‘interned, as Japanese,italians and Germans were here during WWII.?
See SAVE THE COUNTRY @ pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=8485
for a very eloquent discussion on why we should no longer stay quiet or in the back of the bus!
Sounds as liberal as our SOCAL friends who voted away our marriage rights…liberal as long as we stay quiet, sit on the back of the bus, don’t live openly or honestly. Yup, another one of our so-called liberal friends. If the dude pled guilty in 2006 why did it take 2 years for NYC to settle this lawsuite?