Probie wife's explosive charge: 'Racist' FDNY killed my husband; training targeted minorities

By Larry Mcshane
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Updated Thursday, February 12th 2009, 6:07 PM

The widow of a probationary firefighter who died at the Fire Academy charged Thursday that a racist FDNY killed her husband with a brutal training regimen.

New legal papers claim probie Jamel Sears collapsed Nov. 10 during a training exercise that "was a product of racial discrimination."

The notice of claim said Sherita Sears intends to seek $10 million from the FDNY and the city of New York.

The claim, filed Feb. 6 by Sears' childhood sweetheart-turned-wife, charged the "strenuous exercises" forced upon Sears and other blacks were introduced to coincide with the FDNY's largest number of African-American trainees ever.

Sears, 33, was part of the class that began at the academy in July 2008.

"The wrongful death was not related to the particular dangers that a firefighter is expected to assume as part of his duties," the notice said.

"Rather, the wrongful death occurred because of the city of New York's negligent noncompliance with the requirements of federal, state and city civil rights laws."

A spokesman for the FDNY was not available to comment on the filing, while the city Corporation Counsel's office said it had not seen the paperwork.

Sears, a Bronx resident, was a U.S. Navy veteran and the father of two: 7-year-old daughter Jya, and 11-year-old son Mahlek.

Last year's FDNY class included the most minorities in the department's history, with more than one-third of the 297 members either black, Hispanic, Asian or female.