Brookline Reaches 11M Settlement With Firefighter Gerald Alston

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline has reached an $11 million settlement with Gerald Alston, the Black firefighter the town fired after he reported racism and subsequent retaliation in the workplace.

The settlement, which will now be voted on by Town Meeting members at a special meeting on Oct. 5, represents the end of an 11-year case.

"This Select Board extends to Mr. Alston our sincere apologies for the Town’s mistakes, and our commitment to seriously address racist and other discriminatory behaviors," said the Select Board in a statement Tuesday. "We appreciate Mr. Alston’s service to the Town."

In 2010, Alston reported that a racial slur was left on his voicemail by a white supervisor and had the voicemail to prove it. The claim was not disputed, but the supervisor and an internal investigation concluded that the slur was directed at someone else.

What was disputed was the handling of the incident. The fire chief at the time told Alston the slur was a fireable offense, but Alston said he did not want the supervisor to lose his job, so the fire chief assured him the supervisor would be disciplined and not promoted. However, against the fire chief's recommendation, the select board gave the supervisor minimal punishment and three subsequent promotions.

If the Town Meeting authorizes the settlement next month, the matter will be concluded. If it does not authorize the settlement, the case will be returned to court where "the finances and reputations of the Town and individual defendants are further at rise, and where the Town will need to expend significant resources at trial," according to the Select Board.

"The Select Board believes this settlement is the right thing to do for Mr. Alston and in the best interest of the Town of Brookline, and we urge all Town Meeting Members to support funding it," said Select Board members.