By Angie Basiouny
The News Journal (Delaware)
A union representative for two New Castle County paramedics put on paid leave during an investigation into perceived ethnic slurs defended the men Thursday, saying they are not racist.
Ken Dunn, who represents the Emergency Services Workers of New Castle County, said he knows both men and has spoken to them about their conversation, which was accidentally recorded on Councilman Jea P. Street’s answering machine after one of the men thought he had hung up the phone.
In the recording, the men are heard discussing Street’s comments in a News Journal article Monday about the lack of minority paramedics. The men said minorities “culturally” don’t like to do paramedic work and compared recruitment to hiring Italians for certain kinds of jobs.
Full story: http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060616/NEWS/606160347/-1/NEWS01