Three city department heads, including Fire Commissioner Annette Holt, stayed away from Thursday's hearing at the direction of Mayor Brandon Johnson. That infuriated members of the Council's Police and Fire Committee.
The findings are based on a 2021 leak of the Oath Keepers’ purported membership rolls. The ADL said it compared the names with information found in public databases, media reports and social media platforms to identify those who held public safety jobs.
A federal judge recently agreed to dissolve a 42-year-old court mandate on minority hiring within the Chicago Fire Department, finding that minority representation had increased substantially since its implementation in early 1980.
Even with a recruitment push by Fire Department brass, the number of Black firefighters and paramedics has fallen to third behind Hispanics and whites of the same rank.
A clause in a collective bargaining agreement from the early 1980s requires the department to strive for as close to 45% minority representation as possible in all ranks.