A defamation lawsuit filed by a New York dentist accused of hosting a racist party that mocked Juneteenth, the federal holiday dedicated to the liberation of enslaved people, has been dismissed, according to multiple news stories.
Dr. Nicholas Nicosia sued attorney Nathan McMurray, who successfully represented a firefighter who sued the dentist for being forced to attend the 2022 Juneteenth-themed party. Nicosia claimed that McMurray purposely spread false statements about him.
Nicosia's lawsuit was dismissed, and he must pay McMurray’s attorney fees, according to the stories.
In 2024, the City of Rochester agreed to pay $75,000 to Jerrod Jones, a Black man and Rochester firefighter, and another $75,000 when he retires in four years.
On July 7, 2022, Jones and other firefighters, all of whom were on duty, reportedly were taken to Nicosia's private mansion by his captain, Jeffrey Krywy. Jones claimed he was met with cutout figures of Donald Trump, Juneteenth flags, and buckets of fried chicken. Also, there were reportedly stakes and cornhole games in the backyard that displayed pictures of local Democratic politicians.
In a joint statement, Jones and the city stated it was improper for Krywy, who retired from the fire department before he could be terminated, to take on-duty firefighters to the party, which involved inappropriate political and racial overtones.
Following the allegations, the Nicosias made public comments claiming they were not racist and that their party was meant to "poke liberals." However, at the time of these statements, Mary Znidarsic-Nicosia, the wife of Nicholas Nicosia, admitted to posting blatantly racist comments on an anonymous X account.
The accusations against the dentist and his wife led them to lose spots on local boards, including the Highland Hospital Board of Directors.
