‘Lynching Is Not a Joke’: Two Former Delaware Firefighters Charged with Hate Crimes After Chasing Black Co-Worker with a Noose
Two volunteer firefighters from Millville, Delaware, are receiving widespread criticism across the state after they were fired and charged with hate crimes.
On April 9, 2025, Delaware State Police were notified of the incident by the Millville Volunteer Fire Company administration. It happened 14 months earlier, when Jay Droney, 27, of Millville, and Jordan Hastings, 23, of Delmar, chased a fellow volunteer firefighter around the station while carrying a rope tied in the shape of a noose, police said. The Millville administration said they first heard about it last week.
Droney made a racist comment toward the victim as they chased him, according to police. Investigators also said Droney made additional racist comments to the victim on several occasions after the first incident.
Warrants were obtained for Droney and Hastings on Tuesday. They turned themselves in and face charges of hate crimes, conspiracy and harassment.
Both were dismissed from the Millville Fire Company.
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 said. “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.”
It’s unclear why so much time transpired between the actual incident in February 2024 and the reporting of it. 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.”
A bipartisan group led by Delaware Senate Democrats and Republicans issued a joint statement condemning the incident as “abhorrent” and standing in “stark contrast” with Delaware’s values. They said they spoke with “one voice in condemning all acts of hatred, racism, and discrimination” and applauded the prompt action taken by the state police and local authorities.
“Hate has no place in our firehouses, our communities, or anywhere in our state. The fire service exists to protect life and property without prejudice or bias,” the Senate leaders said. “The behavior described in this case violates not only the law, but the trust and dignity that should define public service.”
No court date has been set yet for Droney and Hastings.