A federal lawsuit raises questions about the culture at a prior job of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s nominee for fire chief.

In those court documents, there are allegations of harassment and discrimination in an East Coast fire department during Reginald Freeman’s time there as chief.

The city is not commenting on this lawsuit, saying it was filed several years ago, doesn’t mention Freeman and concerns allegations involving a different city and state.

Mayor Frey had high praise for Freeman as he announced him as his choice for the chief’s position in May.

Frey nominates Reginald Freeman to be next Minneapolis fire chief

“The kind of leadership that he brings to the table is second to none,” the mayor declared at the time.

But a 2022 lawsuit raises questions about Freeman’s time as fire chief in Hartford, Connecticut.

“It should always be an open process,” says Paul Ostrow, a former Minneapolis City Council president. “It should always be one where the legislative body has the information they need to properly vet the executive’s appointment.”

Two female firefighters filed that federal lawsuit against the City of Hartford, saying they were “harassed and discriminated against by their employer because of their sex and/or race.”  

The document also says, “nearly every female who rose to the ranks of lieutenant or higher either filed an internal complaint of harassment and discrimination — or tragically, surrendered their promotion in order to avoid the hostility of the executive-level fire chiefs.”

It doesn’t mention Freeman specifically or accuse him of any wrongdoing.

But the lawsuit includes allegations of mistreatment while he was leading the department between 2016 and 2021.

We asked Ostrow: “Is it reasonable to say that the chief, the fire chief, would have known about this?”

“I think it’s reasonable to conclude that as chief, he would know about these things,” he says. “Certainly, that he should have known about these things.”

Ostrow calls the allegations “troubling.”

The nomination is now set for a public hearing next week.

We wondered if all of this should be part of the discussion.

“It should be,” Ostrow says. “The most important question I would ask, number one: ‘Was this disclosed to the mayor or the search team?’”

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS spoke with the mayor’s office late Wednesday night.

They told us again they’re not commenting on the lawsuit.

We’re still working to get a comment from Freeman himself.

“The Odyssey” director Christopher Nolan has long been an advocate for IMAX 70mm film, advising movie buffs to get the best viewing experience possible in special IMAX theaters.

Very few locations around the world are capable of projecting the film, however, with just 25 U.S. theaters airing Nolan’s newest movie in the special format.

Luckily, Indianapolis is among the locations where fans can see “The Odyssey” in 70mm at one IMAX location.

What is ‘The Odyssey’ about?

Based on Homer’s epic poem, the three-hour saga (in theaters July 17) follows Greek king Odysseus (Matt Damon) on his 10-year journey back to Ithaca to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland). Throughout his journey Odysseus faces off against sirens, giants and sea gods.

What is a 70mm film projection?

70mm film projection is a wide high-resolution film gauge for motion picture photography, according to Indiewire. It is a process of projecting movies onto a big screen using a film print that is 70mm wide, which is about twice the size of regular 35mm film.

Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is the first major studio movie to ever be filmed completely with IMAX cameras, as they are notoriously costly, loud and bulky to operate, according to USA TODAY.

Why does Christopher Nolan prefer 70 mm film projection?

Nolan previously told the Associated Press he is a longtime fan of the filming method, creating other films like “Dunkirk” and “Tenet” with the large format film stock as well.

He explained that viewers are getting the feeling of 3D without the glasses, adding that the sharpness and clarity of the cameras immerse them in the world of the film.

“You rarely get the chance to really talk to moviegoers directly about why you love a particular format and why if they can find an IMAX screen to see the film on that’s great,” Nolan said. “We put a lot of effort into shooting the film in a way that we can get it out on these large format screens. It really is just a great way of giving people an experience that they can’t possibly get in the home.”

Where can you see ‘The Odyssey’ on 70mm film in Indiana?

Moviegoers can see “The Odyssey” in 15 perf/70mm film in the IMAX Theatre at the Indiana State Museum. As of Wednesday, July 15, some showings for opening weekend already were sold out.

Where are all 25 IMAX 70mm theaters showing ‘The Odyssey?’

Here’s where to see it in IMAX:

• Harkins Arizona Mills 25 & IMAX – Tempe, Arizona
• Regal LA Live & IMAX – Los Angeles, CA
• AMC Metreon 16 & IMAX – San Francisco, California
• Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood & IMAX – Universal City, California
• TCL Chinese Theater IMAX – Hollywood, California
• Regal Edwards Ontario Palace & IMAX – Ontario, Canada
• Regal Irvine Spectrum 21 + IMAX – Irvine, California
• Esquire IMAX – Sacramento, California
• Regal Hacienda Crossings & IMAX – Dublin, California
• Cinemark Carefree Circle & IMAX – Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Regal Colorado Center 9 & IMAX – Denver, Colorado
• AutoNation IMAX, Museum of Discovery & Science – Fort Lauderdale
• Regal Mall of Georgia & IMAX – Buford, Georgia
• Cinemark Seven Bridges & IMAX – Woodridge, Illinois
• IMAX Theatre at Indiana State Museum – Indianapolis, Indiana
• Celebration! Cinema Grand Rapids North & IMAX – Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Brenden Palms 14 & IMAX – Las Vegas, Nevada
• AMC Lincoln Square 13 & IMAX – New York, New York
• Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester & IMAX – Rochester, New York
• Regal UA King of Prussia & IMAX – King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
• Apple Cinemas Providence Place & IMAX – Providence,  Rhode Island
• IMAX at the Tennessee Aquarium – Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Regal Opry Mills & IMAX – Nashville, Tennessee
• AMC Rivercenter 11 & IMAX – San Antonio, Texas
• Cinemark Dallas & IMAX – Dallas, Texas

CONTRIBUTING: Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Smoke from wildfires in northeast Minnesota and Canada will impact air quality in Ohio through tomorrow. A cold front sweeps through the area Saturday night.

Partly cloudy and humid today. Afternoon temperatures 82 to 91 degrees.

Clear sky tonight.

Partly cloudy tomorrow. High temperatures around 90 degrees.

Breezy and humid Saturday with a few thunderstorms. The best risk of storms will be during the evening hours. The storms could turn severe.