Toledo fire captain sues city, claims race and gender discrimination

TOLEDO, Ohio — The first African-American woman promoted to captain in the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department has filed a lawsuit against the department and several top-ranking fire officials, alleging years of harassment, discrimination and retaliation on the job, seeking at least $1.75 million in damages.

Captain Komako Goolsby, who has served with the department since before her September 2022 promotion, claims in her civil complaint that she has faced ongoing intimidation, false accusations and unequal treatment compared to white and male colleagues.

The suit, filed in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, names the city along with Fire Chief Michael Romstadt, Assistant Chief John Kaminski, Battalion Chief Sharyl Close, Captain Kristin Tanner and several lieutenants and firefighters. It alleges racial and gender discrimination, a hostile work environment, retaliation for reporting concerns and violations of Ohio’s anti-discrimination laws.

WTOL 11 has reached out to the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department and is awaiting comment.

Goolsby says that since becoming captain, she has been the target of repeated internal investigations – often triggered by complaints from subordinates – while white counterparts accused of similar infractions received lighter treatment or none at all.

She accuses fellow officers of spreading rumors, filing false complaints and undermining her authority. The lawsuit details alleged social media harassment, including posts from department employees mocking her leadership and, in some cases, showing Proud Boys and political imagery while on duty.

Goolsby also claims her reports of discrimination to city officials and the department’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office were ignored, and that retaliation escalated after she spoke out.

The lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $25,000 for each claim, plus punitive damages, attorney’s fees and a jury trial.

Captain Goolsby has also faced previous administrative discipline within the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department.

According to the city, an internal investigation into a Dec. 28, 2023, complaint found that Goolsby, who was the only paramedic on scene, did not leave her engine during an EMS incident and later submitted a patient report. She was served administrative charges for falsifying that report and was cited for four departmental rule violations on Feb. 9, 2024.

Those charges were later dismissed without prejudice because they were not delivered to the firefighters’ union within the time frames required by the collective bargaining agreement. Instead, Goolsby was issued a written counseling on March 21, 2024, and required to complete corrective training, which she has since finished.

She also previously served six days of a 15-day suspension in late 2022 under a settlement agreement resolving separate administrative charges of falsifying a report.