Two captains with the Youngstown Fire Department have filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, alleging that public comments he made to the press falsely portrayed them as racists and damaged their reputations. The complaint was filed in the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas on September 27, 2025, by Captains Jonathan Racco and Jordan Thomas.

According to the suit, the dispute traces back to a September 6, 2024, meeting between the two captains, Fire Chief Barry Finley, and Assistant Law Director Joe Fritz. At the time, Captain Racco served as President of IAFF Local 312, and Captain Thomas was the Vice President. Quoting from the complaint:

• Shortly after the start of the meeting, Assistant Director Fritz left the room to take a phone call.
• It was then that Chief Finley exhibited signs of anger and vitriol toward Plaintiffs.
• Chief Finley called Plaintiffs “punk ass white boys” and “little white bitches,” saying that he was “tired of you white boys.”
• Chief Finley then, inexplicably, accused Plaintiffs of being racist toward him because he is Black – despite the fact that Plaintiffs had done nothing, nor said anything, that exhibited a shred of racism toward Chief Finley or anyone else.
• Chief Finley later recalled that he stated, “I am so tired of you white boys constantly coming after me for no reason and it just never stops.”
• After Plaintiff Thomas responded that he was not a racist, Chief Finley told Plaintiff Thomas, “[y]ou know who always says that, a racist.”
• During his outburst, Chief Finley yelled at Plaintiffs and stood over Plaintiff Thomas from across the table in a threatening manner.

Following the meeting, captains Racco and Thomas filed written complaints with the city’s Human Resources department about the incident. A month later, on or about October 10, 2024, Mayor Brown gave an interview to The Vindicator newspaper. The lawsuit claims that Brown “included several disparaging and false statements” that “falsely characterized Plaintiffs as racist” and portrayed them as the aggressors, while depicting Chief Finley as the victim.

Those comments were reportedly published in The Vindicator on October 11, 2024, and republished later. The complaint alleges that the mayor’s statements caused the captains “harm to their reputations and professional relationships, as well as public hatred, contempt, ridicule, shame, and/or disgrace.” The captains claim they were compelled to step down from their union leadership roles and faced hostility both at work and in the community.

The suit names Mayor Brown in his individual capacity, asserting that he acted “with actual malice, bad faith, and wanton disregard” for the truth. The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

The mayor has not yet filed a response to the complaint. Here is news coverage. Here is a copy of the complaint.