Two former Delaware firefighters charged with hate crimes after reportedly chasing Black co-worker with a noose

Two former Delaware volunteer firefighters have been fired and charged with hate crimes.

Delaware firefighters charged with hate crime

In February 2024, Jay Droney, 27, of Millville, and Jordan Hastings, 23, of Delmar, reportedly chased a fellow volunteer firefighter around the station while carrying a rope tied in the shape of a noose, police said.

On April 9, 2025, Delaware State Police were notified of the incident by the Millville Volunteer Fire Company.

According to authorities, Droney reportedly made a racist comment toward the victim as they chased him. Investigators also said Droney made additional racist comments to the victim on several occasions after the first incident.

Arrest warrants were issued for Droney and Hastings on Tuesday, April 15. Both were charged with hate crimes, conspiracy and harassment.

They were both released on their own recognizance and dismissed from the fire company.

According to court records, part of the delay of the fire company not being notified was because the victim, who is Black, didn’t report the incidents because he “just wanted to come to work and do his job and go home.”

Delaware House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris, and Majority Whip Ed Osienski issued a joint statement agreeing that “lynching is not a joke,” adding that many of their family members “lived in fear of and fought against” it.

“It is something that Black Americans still unfortunately live in fear of,” they affirmed.

“No one, and especially not someone who puts their safety on the line to protect others, should ever be subjected to the kind of hateful and threatening behavior that a Millville Volunteer Fire Company employee went through at the hands of his colleagues.”

Statement from Millville Volunteer Fire Company

The Millville Volunteer Fire Company released the following statement detailing how they handled the allegation.

“After becoming aware of the allegations that an employee had been racially harassed by volunteer members, the Millville Volunteer Fire Company (MVFC) promptly initiated an internal investigation,” the statement reads. “Our findings provided sufficient evidence to notify and involve the Delaware State Police. MVFC identified two volunteer members accused of racially harassing behavior towards and employee. As a result of that internal investigation, the MVFC has decided to permanently revoke the memberships of the two volunteer members. They are no longer members of the fire company. It is important to note that the Delaware State Police has arrested the two individuals connected to the matter, both charged with hate crimes.”

“MVFC acted decisively and swiftly and will not tolerate this kind of behavior,” it continued.

“Moving forward, we will be implementing a Harassment/Discrimination Prevention and Reporting Training Program for Officers, Supervisors, Employees, and Members as soon as practical. Additionally, an immediate review of current policies is underway and will be updated accordingly.”

No court date has been set yet for Droney and Hastings.