By George P. Hassett

Two brothers who nearly joined their father on the Somerville Fire Department before being tripped up by questionable residency statuses appealed to a civil service commissioner last week and will call witnesses when their case resumes Wednesday.

Sean and Ryan Layton are alleging that renewed scrutiny in the wake of a different fire department hiring dispute cost them their jobs. The Laytons both passed background checks that confirmed their residency in the city but a second investigation begun after Iraq war veteran Sean O’Brien claimed he was wrongly passed over concluded that they did not meet the residency requirements.

The Laytons are accusing the city of reacting to O’Brien’s representative “indication that allegations of nepotism would be part of any future bypass hearing” by firing them, according to a procedural order written by civil service Commissioner Christopher Bowman. Their father, Stephen Layton, is a 24-year veteran of the Somerville Fire Department and vice president of the firefighters union.

At Friday’s hearing the city presented its case by calling Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher, former personnel director Jessie Baker and Detective Paul Duffy. The Layton’s will call witnesses when the case resumes on Wednesday.