Providence officials have agreed to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a veteran firefighter that accused department higher-ups of transferring him to a different assignment based on his race.
Under the terms of a settlement, Renato Alarcon will be paid $7,500, according to Victor Morente, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office.
The City Council Committee on Claims and Pending Suits approved the agreement at a meeting last week.
Alarcon, who has worked for the fire department since 1999, filed the lawsuit in 2015, claiming he was transferred because of his race and replaced by a white colleague. He also accused one firefighter of making inappropriate comments about his race and alleged Hispanic firefighters were banned from parking their cars in a certain area after a white firefighter complained.