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Firefighter Suspended 5 Days for Noose Incident

MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA – City officials on Friday suspended a Fire Department battalion chief for five days without pay after he was accused of tying a noose in a fire hose and holding it over a black firefighter’s head during a training exercise.

Michael Osborne, who is white, was suspended for conduct unbecoming a Fire Department employee and for violating the city’s code of conduct requiring employees to avoid inappropriate and disrespectful behavior, Fire Chief Dave Lamb said in a statement.

A telephone message seeking comment was left by The Associated Press at the home phone number of the only Michael Osborne listed in the area.

Osborne can appeal his suspension to the city’s Fire Merit Commission, but has not indicated his intentions, Mayor Chuck Oberlie said.

An investigation led by Lamb indicated Osborne was attempting to make others in the class laugh. Oberlie said there was no sign of any bad feelings between Osborne and the other firefighter, whose name was not disclosed, before the June 10 incident during a knot tying exercise.

“There’s just no room for that in today’s society,” he said. “We’ve worked awfully hard in this community to provide diversity training so everyone would stop and think before they do things. So this is a total disappointment.”

Mike Rivera, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in LaPorte County, said he was satisfied with the punishment, especially since the victim was consulted on the suspension.

“Hopefully it’s enough to get him to see the severity of his act,” Rivera said.

More diversity training for firefighters in the city about west of South Bend will be held because of the noose incident, Lamb said.

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