Houston Firefighters Talk About Racist Graffiti

July 9, 2009
Two female firefighters spoke out about racial, sexual and threatening words they found on the counters and walls at a fire station.

HOUSTON --

The two female firefighters spoke out Wednesday about racial, sexual and threatening words they found on the counters and walls at a fire station, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The women said they have been harassed for a long time.

"This has to stop. I've been going through this for two years now and it's sick," said Jane Draycott.

The women's lockers at Houston Fire Station 54 were broken into and their pictures were vandalized. The women discovered the what happened when they arrived at work Tuesday.

"When I saw my pictures on the floor with their faces marked, I was devastated. They are messing with my family and I will not stand for that," said Paula Keys.

Draycott said there was something particular disturbing to her.

"My 17-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident and these people marked her face "dead" and "die" on my face on the pictures. My daughter was sitting on my lap," said Draycott.

The women said they do not know who is doing this, but they said they believe no one, including the supervisors, will do anything about it because they never have in the past.

Draycott said she will not change stations. Keys said she wants to be moved to another station.

The attorneys who represent the women said they want the Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate the incident as a hate crime.

Fire Chief Phil Boriskie said the incident was a criminal offense and those responsible will lose their jobs.

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