An American Hockey League (AHL) team and a New York hospital have cut ties with a dentist accused of hosting a racist party that mocked Juneteenth, the federal holiday dedicated to the liberation of enslaved people, according to news reports.
The Rochester Americans and Highland Hospital, an affiliate of the University of Rochester Medical Center, recently announced that they were severing ties with Dr. Nicholas Nicosia, who works at a private practice in Rochester, NY. Nicosia previously was the hockey team's dentist and sat on the board of the hospital, according to reports.
In July, Nicosia and his wife, Mary, hosted a party at their mansion. When attendees, including members of the local fire department, arrived, they reportedly were met with a display of Juneteenth flags and buckets of fried chicken situated underneath them as well as photos of some politicians on spikes in the ground, according to reports.
Since the claims have surfaced, the couple released a statement stating, "The allegations of racism made against us are false and malicious."
