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Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jury rules in favor of Black firefighter's racial discrimination case against City of Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Black firefighter who claims he faced repeated racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation within the Portland Fire Bureau has had a Multnomah County jury rule in his favor. Jason Wilson spent more than 17 years serving his community before filing a complaint that accused the City of Portland of discriminating against him 'based on his race, his opposition to unlawful discrimination, and his reports of unlawful conduct.' Neighbors, PBOT fed up with NW 13th outdoor plaza A jury ruled Monday that Wilson did face discrimination from the bureau, suggesting that a judge grant him $275,000 in non-economic damages. Wilson and his attorney , alleging he was ignored by supervisors when he brought up concerns of unlawful activity as recently as October 2023. 'For years, Company Fire Inspection Program (CFIP) employees have systematically falsified thousands of inspection reports,' the lawsuit read. 'In some cases, employees have filed inspection reports without having set foot inside the premises they claimed to have inspected.' According to the lawsuit, fire investigators called Wilson and asked to accompany him 'into a private premises under the guise of performing a fire inspection so they could get the 'lay of the land' and look for stolen cars' in June 2023. Wilson says he reported the request to his supervisors, because he was concerned doing so would be illegal. The suit outlined years of racial discrimination and derogatory comments made by supervisors and colleagues. In an instance from 2008, the suit alleged that now-retired Cpt. Lonnie Fuller had spoken about Wilson's daughter in derogatory ways and made other racist comments on a daily basis, such as calling any black person in a baseball cap a 'gang member.' Man arrested after hatchet attack near Portland State campus On one occasion, Wilson claimed Fuller asked, 'Where's the most dangerous place for a black baby?' and finished with the punchline, 'In its mother's belly.' But when Wilson brought up the alleged racism to a fire marshal in October 2023, he was removed from the inspection testing maintenance team four days later. Instead, he was told at the time the decision had been made to 'avoid favoritism.' Wilson had also claimed that the city's hiring process for a 2023 Fire Inspector Specialist position had been a case of racial discrimination. However, the jury ruled that the process had resulted in materially adverse treatment, but did not find that the treatment was due to his race. The Portland Fire Bureau declined an opportunity for comment. KOIN 6 News has also reached out to the City of Portland. This story will be updated if we hear back. Stay with KOIN 6 News for this developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison after largest meth bust in Oregon history
PORTLAND, Ore. () — The ring leader of a drug trafficking operation out of Lane County was sentenced to 15 years in prison following what authorities say is the largest bust of meth in Oregon state history. Martin Manzo Negrete, 51, was living in Lane County 'unlawfully' as a Mexican national when he oversaw the operation that brought large amounts of meth from California to Oregon for distribution, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Man allegedly shared stolen intimate Snapchat photos In 2021, law enforcement officials executing a federal search warrant uncovered multiple spots in Lane County with illicit material, including a storage unit with 384 pounds of meth, as well as 14 guns, some stolen, and more than $76,000 in cash. Manzo Negrete and four of his associates were arrested as part of the investigation, with a fifth suspect arrested later on. Manzo Negrete was identified as the drug trafficking cell's leader after an investigation by authorities that began in 2020. Email trail: Portland Fire Bureau contradicts itself Earlier this year, Manzo Negrete pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. He was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. The five other co-conspirators in the case have also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to federal prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
