The final judgment in a long-awaited civil lawsuit against the Trenton Fire Department was released last week, ordering the city to pay nearly $1 million in damages and fees, according to the court document.
The judgment stems from a 2014 lawsuit filed by former firefighter Jesse Diaz, who alleged that he overheard a racial slur made by a co-worker of his at the department in 2012. Diaz said he faced retaliation and harassment after complaining about the incident, so much so that he was forced into retirement, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit went to trial and in September, a six-person jury ruled in Diaz's favor, awarding him $750,000.
But last week, the final judgment revealed that the city would be expected to pay much more than that.