A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the family of a fire cadet who died while attending the Cleveland Fire Department’s Training Academy. The complaint was filed today in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas by Terri Simpson, individually and as administratrix of the Estate of Symeon Sylvester Williams, Sr.

The suit names the City of Cleveland and Lieutenant Vincent Russo as defendants. Williams died on May 16, 2025. According to the complaint, he was “one of only two African American cadets in his class” and allegedly died “because of illegal and unlawful hazing at the City of Cleveland Fire Training Academy.” The suit alleges that the hazing “led directly to his death.”  

The complaint identifies Lieutenant Vincent Russo as a City employee assigned to the Fire Training Academy and alleges that the hazing acts “were carried out and executed by Defendant Vincent Russo during the course and scope of his employment with Defendant City of Cleveland.”  The suit further alleges that the hazing “stemmed from racial animus within Defendant City of Cleveland’s Fire Training Academy and/or Defendant City of Cleveland’s Fire Department against African American cadets and/or firemen.”  

Quoting from the complaint:

• Decedent was subjected to hazing including but not limited to extra physical activity.
• Decedent was subjected to hazing including but not limited physical punishment.
• Decedent was subjected to hazing including but not limited to denial of proper hydration and/or appropriate food during hot weather training.
• Decedent was subjected to hazing including but not limited not being afforded appropriate rest and/or recovery over multiple days that led to a cumulative effect of creating a dangerous situation.
• Decedent was subjected to hazing including but not limited multiple, cumulative days of overly rigorous activity without proper supervision.
• Decedent was subjected to hazing including but not limited that designed to humiliate and/or demean him.
• Decedent was subjected to hazing including but not limited to actions meant to punish him and/or cause him to quit the Cleveland Fire Training Academy.
• Decedent was subjected to hazing including but not limited actions meant to punish and prevent him from becoming a full-time City of Cleveland firefighter.
• The hazing actions and/or inactions described throughout this Complaint were motivated in whole and/or in part due to decedent’s race and/or age.
• Decedent was the only remaining African American cadet after the other African American cadet was removed from the class.
• Due to past injuries of other cadets, Defendants knew that the hazing of decedent was highly likely to cause severe injury and/or death.
• Defendants intentionally meant to cause the harm that resulted to decedent.
• Decedent was subject to far more hazing in the forms described in this Complaint that any other member of his remaining class and/or cadets of other races and/or younger ages.
• In Ohio, employees can sue employers for intentional torts, bypassing the typical workers’ compensation immunity, but only if they prove the employer acted with specific, deliberate intent to cause injury or acted with the belief that harm was substantially certain to occur under Ohio Revised code section 2745.01, just as the case here.
• Hazing is an intentional tort that may be brought under Ohio law even if a workers’ compensation claim exists and/or is viable, just as is the case here.

The complaint alleges that Williams was targeted because of both his race and age. According to the suit, Williams was 39 years old and “in his final year of being eligible to join the Cleveland Fire Training Academy.”   The complaint alleges: “Defendants did not want a 39-year-old in the class and hazed him because of that in addition to his race.”  

The complaint asserts claims under Ohio’s hazing statutes, including Ohio Revised Code §§ 2307.44 and 2903.31, along with wrongful death and survivorship claims. While it contains allegations of race and age discrimination-related motive, the complaint does not assert formal statutory discrimination claims such as Title VII, §1981, the ADEA, or Ohio anti-discrimination claims. Rather, the allegations are woven into the hazing and intentional tort narrative.

The complaint also references a public records request submitted to the City on April 3, 2026 seeking investigatory files, reports, discipline records, videos, witness statements, and policies concerning cadet physical training and hazing.   According to the complaint, the City’s response “did not contain any significant investigation of any kind into decedent’s death and the circumstances surrounding it, aside from a three-page incident report.”  

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, emotional distress damages, funeral and burial expenses, attorneys’ fees, and other relief.