Trenton fire official who cost city $1M promoted

TRENTON >> Only in Trenton would someone be rewarded for costing the city nearly $1 million.

James Hall, a defendant in a recently decided civil case, was promoted last week to Trenton fire battalion chief of logistics, according to an internal transfer and assignment list obtained by The Trentonian. His elevation occurred the day before Trenton and Hall were on the losing end of a nearly $1 million civil suit award by a judge. A jury reached a verdict on Sept. 28 following a four-week trial.

Hall, who previously served as captain of the Engine 7 firehouse, was prominently featured in the case for improperly handling the discipline of a white firefighter who used a racial slur.

Former Trenton firefighter Jesse Diaz was awarded $968,160 on Jan. 10 over the retaliation and harassment he received from the department’s top brass after insisting to Hall that he take action against firefighter Pete Plumeri for spouting off the n-word. Plumeri called a black colleague the racial slur after he got off the phone with him in April 2012.

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