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Where There's Smoke .9.

A firefighter in Dearborn says he
endured anti-Semitism on the job.

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Elizabeth Applebaum

0/

Contributing Editor

4,14 6 months

Jewish firefighter has filed a
lawsuit against the Dearborn
Fire Department, alleging he
experienced repeated incidents of
anti-Semitism and was refused trans-
fer after reporting those incidents.
Tom Begres of West Bloomfield filed
suit in Wayne County Circuit Court,
asking more than $25,000 in damages.
Begres' attorney is Michael Cutler of
Farmington Hills. Cutler, who special-
izes in employment discrimination,
alleges that Begres has been the sub-
ject of numerous incidents of harass-
ment at Dearborn Fire Station No. 2,
where he has worked since 2003.
Cutler says these included:
• References to Begres as a "lep-
rekike" (a play on the word lep-
rechaun).
• Suggestions that firefighters view
Schinder's List, Steven Spielberg's film
about Oskar Schindler and the Jews he
saved during the Holocaust, because
"that always gives us a good laugh."

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Farmington Hills
(248) 538-2545

Novi
(248) 380-6590

Livonia
(248) 442-9650

Troy
(248) 619-0264

Wixom
(248) 468-0205

Tom Begres made
repeated attempts
to be transferred,
his attorney said.

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• While it's typical for Dearborn
firefighters to place stickers, reflecting
their ethnic background, on their hel-
mets, when Begres affixed a sticker
with a Star of David to his helmet "he
was threatened with termination
unless he took it off:' Cutler says.
• One of Begres' fellow firemen used
computers at the tire station to pur-
chase Nazi paraphernalia, including
weapons, brochures and a fireman's
hat made from a Nazi war helmet. He
would then openly discuss his interest
in Nazi memorabilia and was "very
proud of it," Cutler says.
According to Cutler, Begres made

repeated attempts to be transferred.
He "went up the chain of command
[including appealing to Fire Chief
Nazhih Hazime, who is named in the
suit] and gave the fire department
notice of the problem:' Cutler says.
Before filing suit, Begres looked to
other outlets, such as his union, for
support, but found no help. "He was
really trapped in this environment:'
Cutler says.-
Though Begres' supervisors "were
aware of the problems," Cutler says,
they repeatedly refused his requests
for a transfer, without offering any
explanation. "He was just told, in
essence, that he would just have to
endure it."
Consequently, Begres, the depart-
ment's only Jewish firefighter, had
"no alternative but to file [the law-
suit];' Cutler says.
"Dearborn has in place, and has
had in place, a policy that prohibits
discrimination, including religious
discrimination:' said Kim Craig,
assistant corporation counsel for the
city. Officials take charges of dis-
crimination "very seriously," she
says, adding that the city did com-
plete an investigation in the Begres
matter. Because the case is pending,
she says, she could not discuss the
findings.
Spokesmen for the Michigan
Region Anti-Defamation League did
not comment on the case, saying
they had not been contacted by
Begres.
No trial date has been set. ❑

Judge To Retire

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge
Hilda Gage is retiring after more than
25 years as a jurist. A dinner in her
honor will be held Saturday, Jan. 28, at
the Troy Marriott.
Cocktails will be at 6 p.m. Dinner
will be at 7 p.m. The charge is $85 per
person. Former Circuit Judge Barry
Howard is treasurer of the event; send
reservation information with a check
to him at 3910 Telegraph, Suite 200,
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. The com-
munity is invited.