Black employees have hit the FDNY with a federal civil rights lawsuit, alleging that it hasn’t extinguished racism within its ranks.

According to the NY Daily News, lawyers are seeking class-action status for hundreds of civilian FDNY workers and emergency medical services personnel. So far, seven employees have joined the suit. Filed Friday in Manhattan federal court, the suit charges black employees have been paid less and passed over for the promotions and raises that their white counterparts received.

Th suit covers both civilian FDNY workers and uniformed EMS personnel, but not firefighters. The class could potentially expand to the thousands, covering people who applied for jobs and didn’t get them or who have left the department.

Stephanie Thomas, a computer specialist, said she’s gone 29 years without a promotion, despite applying for seven positions in the last two years alone. Of the five she knows were filled, all went to white candidates. White employees hired after her with similar or lesser credentials have also moved up the ranks. 

Those in the suit are currently seeking unspecified financial damages, the appointment of an outside monitor and a court-approved plan to increase representation of African American employees.

There also seems to be an issue of nepotism in the department. Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn) took a shot at the department for shafting its black workers while at the same time allowing the son of a former FDNY commissioner, Joe Cassano, to become a firefighter despite his having posted racist and anti-Semitic tweets.

Joe Cassano, who is the son of retired Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, is set to join the FDNY academy this month.

“If your last name happens to be Cassano, and your father heads the Fire Department, then you can praise Hitler, you can talk about black people, you can say all kinds of crazy things, and still get into this Fire Department,” Williams said. “That’s why this case is so important.”