Seattle Black Firefighters Association Goes to Court Amidst Lawsuit Alleging Illegal Sale of Property

On Jan. 8, the group of active and retired firefighters within the Seattle Black Firefighters Association (SBFFA) fighting to stop the illegal sale of a house in Seattle's historic Central District had their day in court. 

This is not the first time the plaintiffs have shown up in court to defend the property, nor is it the first time the defendants have tried to sell the house. In 2022, a lawsuit was filed to stop the pending sale of the house to another buyer, who ended up dropping out of the sale due to its controversy.

"We filed the case in February 2022 and [Judge Josephine Wiggs] made a ruling, or an opinion, on December 26, 2023," said Yohannes Sium, the lawyer representing the group of firefighters in an interview with the Emerald. "I read a lot of it today in court and cited the sections that were violated when they sold this house — and I believe that makes them in contempt [because they] violated a court order."

The ruling Wiggs made following the trial ordered that the organization was not following procedures set by Robert's Rules of Order and that any business conducted within the organization should follow official procedures. Sium argued in court that the sale of the property was illegal because the organization did not follow proper procedures to sell the house and was in violation of Wigg's previous ruling in doing so. 

"Defendant Johnson sent an email on November 5, 2021 giving notice of two special meetings to 'discuss the future of the SBFFA House.' The email indicated that there would be 'a vote at the meeting.' The email was not sent to all known SBFFA members, including Harold Scoggins (Seattle Fire Chief) and Willie Barrington," said Wiggs in her December 2023 ruling. 

Sium reiterated in his argument to the court that the plaintiffs were excluded from the meeting where the vote to sell the house was taken. He also reiterated his request to the court for the meeting notes and asked that the defendants be held in contempt for refusing to comply with Wigg's ruling.

For many members, like retired Deputy Chief Charles Gill, the sale of the house not only represents a loss of Seattle's Black history but also a loss of a valuable resource for first responders and law enforcement.

"It was a meeting place for Black law enforcement officers as well as Black transit workers," Gill said. "It was instrumental for them to have a gathering point to sit down and talk about issues, just like we were having as firefighters."

According to Gill, the house was also used to facilitate training for prospective firefighters. "We did training sessions there in conjunction with some classes we had started at the Seattle Opportunities Industrialization Center (SOIC)," he said. "We were training people to academically be up to speed to pass the written exam. We would go over reading comprehension … and mathematics because that was [required for] entry level to get into the fire department also."

Gill also said the house was used as a voter registration site. "We did voter registration at our house years ago. After getting people registered, our Black firefighters in our own vehicles would take people to the polls. Back then, you had to vote by mail [or] go to a polling place to vote. We set up on a day of the voting, we would go up there, and we would have people's names that needed assistance to get to the polls, and we would drive them to the polls and drive them back home."

Prior to its sale, the SBFFA house was part of a small percentage of homes in Seattle's Central District that were still owned by Black people. According to Gill, gentrification and rising property values have made living in the Central District unaffordable for many Black families. "Just because of gentrification and the property values going up, that makes it impossible for a lot of people to be able to stay there and live there. I grew up there. I don't live there anymore. The house I grew up in, my parents bought for $19,000 in the ʼ60s, and well, it was worth over $2 million a year ago, so it kind of prices you out. And I made good money," he said.

Wiggs was scheduled to give an oral ruling on Friday, Jan. 17, at 3:30 p.m. According to Sium, about two hours prior, Wiggs said she needed more time to make her decision. The new date for the oral ruling is Jan. 31.