LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville Fire captain is suing the city for discrimination.

Steven Zabloudil has been working for the department for nearly 25 years. The Mexican-American said he was suddenly demoted and replaced by a white man in his 30s.

Zabloudil claims firefighters would regularly make jokes about his race. The discrimination lawsuit said at the end of November there were 27 special unit captains in the Louisville Fire Department and more than 70 total captains.

The lawsuit says Zabloudil, 56, is the oldest captain. Lawyer Tom Coffey is representing Zabloudil in the case.

"He is replaced by someone half his age without anywhere near the experience Steve has for no reason, so Steve is at a loss, to say this is because of my national origin, is this because of my age, or is it because of both," Coffey said.

The lawsuit alleges people often used racial slurs and made jokes about Zabloudil roofing their house or mowing their yard.

"He's been aware for a long time how much people were fixated on his being a Mexican-American that when this happened, he had had enough," Coffey said.

The lawsuit also claims the Division of Fire Headquarters has a board with a list of all of its firefighters, which includes colored magnets next to people based on race, national origin, gender and sexual orientation. Zabloudil was marked with a blue magnet to denote his Hispanic heritage. 

LOUISVILLE FIRE LAWSUIT

Board of employees for Louisville Fire Department.

Zabloudil's personnel file shows documentation every time he was promoted and a separate document shows his pay change. There is no record of a demotion, pay cut or disciplinary action in his file.

"If you're going to treat one of your best, most experienced, veteran captains like this," Coffey said. "There is something obvious that we cannot let this happen. We have to demote you, There is nothing with Steve."

The last date in his file is in Sept. 2018 when he was last promoted. There's no record of a demotion. But Zabloudil now faces lesser pay, lost benefits and mental anguish, according to the lawsuit.

"He had his own fire house and then that was taken from him," Coffey said.

The city has been sued many times in the past for discrimination claims and it ultimately costs taxpayers.

In 2022, Louisville Metro government paid MarySusan Ward, a former administrative assistant and human resources representative for the Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, $1 million to settle a seven-year legal battle in which Ward claimed wrongful termination, retaliation and pay discrimination.

When she worked for the department in 2015, Ward said she noticed white employees receiving significant raises without new titles or responsibilities. She complained about an executive assistant getting a 10% pay bump before the end of her probation, followed by two more increases in one year.

Harassment, retaliation and discrimination are all common themes in lawsuits filed by current and former Louisville Metro employees against the city, resulting in significant costs to taxpayers for settlements, according to a review of city records related to employment litigation.

The review reveals at least 14 employment-case payouts since 2017 costing taxpayers nearly $3.5 million, reported by WDRB News in 2022.

WDRB’s review of employment-related settlements follows our reporting showing police misconduct issues have cost Metro taxpayers nearly $40 million since 2017. The rise in settlements and jury awards resulted in Metro government losing its excess-liability insurance coverage in 2021, meaning more costs to taxpayers in the future. Mayor Greg Fischer’s office repeatedly denied a request for a sit-down interview with Fischer for that story in 2022.

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