A firefighter in Taftville was placed on a 90-day suspension after making a comment about Norwich’s mayor, prompting a response from department leaders and the mayor

By Journal Inquirer

NORWICH, Conn. — A Taftville volunteer firefighter and former deputy fire chief has been suspended for 90 days after making a derogatory comment on Facebook about the mayor of Norwich, the chief of the volunteer fire department confirmed Saturday.

Though the comment has since been deleted, Tom Jencks responded to a post in the Norwich Community Forum Facebook group on April 5 that asked, “Which town in Connecticut has the worst mayor?”

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In screenshots of the post, Tom Jencks said it was Norwich and made a comment about the faith of Mayor Swarnjit Singh, who is Sikh.

Taftville Fire Chief Timothy Jencks, who is the brother of Tom Jencks, confirmed the suspension, citing in a statement that the Taftville Volunteer Fire Department remains committed to being a respectful and inclusive work environment.

“The Taftville Volunteer Fire Department does not tolerate or condone racist or discriminatory behavior of any kind. To be clear, there is no place for hateful language or behavior within our organization and amongst our members. We have promptly addressed the issue and remain committed to fostering an environment that is respectful and inclusive for all,” Timothy Jencks said.

When contacted for comment, Singh said, in a text message, “I have always answered hate and ignorance with education and I will continue to do that.”

He said he connected the city’s human resources department with educational resources available through the Department of Justice and said he was “happy to offer cultural competence training to any department that needs it.”

Singh also noted that Chief Timothy Jencks reached out and was “very apologetic and told me not to judge the whole department due to one person’s comments.”

“I am glad he called and I will continue to keep open lines of communication for everyone and make sure our city and our state move forward in all aspects,” Singh said.

Whether public or private, your employer can take action. Understand when your words — on or off duty — cross legal and professional boundaries.

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Singh also noted that April is Sikh Awareness Month.

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