Sexual Harassment

The US DOJ has filed suit against town-village of Harrison and two fire departments within the town accusing them sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation. The suit stems for the treatment of former firefighter Angela Bommarito by the town, its police chief, and two fire companies.

Read More »

A lawsuit filed by the husband of a firefighter who committed suicide allegedly due to work-related gender-based discrimination, has survive a motion to dismiss. Daniel Zaboroski filed suit last year as the executor for the estate of his wife, Nicole Hladik.

Read More »

A fire inspector with the Orlando Fire Department has filed suit alleging harassment and discrimination on account of his sexual orientation. Theodore M. Washington, II filed suit in US District Court for the Middle District of Florida alleging violations of state and federal discrimination law.

Read More »

The City of Chicago’s OIG has completed a follow-up report on its 2021 audit of the Chicago Fire Department’s discrimination and sexual harassment policies. The OIG concluded that while the policies themselves met the requirements of the law, they were insufficient to fully protect members who are vulnerable to discrimination and/or sexual harassment.

Read More »

Two members of an Ontario fire department are no longer with the department following allegations of sexual harassment that led to a civil lawsuit, and the resignation of the fire chief. Their departure appears to be associated with a civil suit filed earlier this year by two female firefighters from the Leduc Fire Department alleging they were exposed to systemic harassment, bullying and discrimination.

Read More »

A female firefighter who was secretly recorded by a voyeuristic colleague has filed suit against the fire department and the member. The lawsuit accuses former firefighter Patrick Nicholson, East Jefferson Fire Rescue and Jefferson County with violating the victim’s civil rights, wiretap violations, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and trespass.

Read More »

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup, Brad and Curt discuss a LODD apparatus accident case out of Texas, a reckless driving with an engine case from Virginia, a fire chief theft case out of Louisiana, sexual harassment cases from Texas and Virginia, and several more from beyond the blog.

Read More »

The US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a sexual harassment suit brought against the Houston Fire Department by a female firefighter. Melinda Abbt brought the action in 2019 after discovering that male firefighters obtained a nude video of her, and watched it multiple times over a period of years.

Read More »

The US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has refused to dismiss the state law claims of a fire investigator with Norfolk Fire-Rescue who alleges sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and violation of Virginia’s Whistleblower Protection Act. Karen Baka filed the suit last year.

Read More »

A sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed by a division chief with the Ashville Fire Department will proceed, despite most of the claims having been dismissed. That was the bottom line of a lengthy ruling by US District Court Chief Judge Martin Reidinger.

Read More »

In this episode, Brad and Curt discuss the dismissal of a lawsuit against the Dallas Fire Department over an alleged assault of a homeless, mentally disable man; the settlement of a discrimination lawsuit resulting in a former fire chief receiving $400k... and more

Read More »

A New Mexico firefighter who claims she was forced to resign due to a sexually hostile work environment has filed suit against the city, the mayor, the city manager, the fire chief, a battalion chief and a captain. Former Hobbs firefighter Caitlin Schultze filed suit in US District Court for the District of New Mexico.

Read More »

In this episode, Brad and Curt discuss a sexual harassment lawsuit out of Hartford, Connecticut; a $100 million lawsuit filed by three Dallas firefighters injured in an explosion; a lawsuit against Sacramento Metro fire over a boating accident; a lawsuit against Honolulu fire over a dropped patient; and a wrongful death lawsuit against an SCBA manufacturer and those who maintained them.

Read More »

Two fire officers with the Hartford Fire Department have filed suit claiming they were subjected to a sexually hostile work environment and retaliation. Captain Shelly Carter and Lieutenant Rosemarie Cataldo filed suit in US District Court for the District of Connecticut.

Read More »