Sexual misconduct

A firefighter in Kansas City, Missouri is facing felony charges for reportedly urinating on a female colleague’s personal property in a KC firehouse. KC police have charged Pleaze Robinson III with first-degree harassment and first-degree property damage over the incident that occurred on September 10, 2023.

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As have many fire departments in the UK and Canada recently, the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has been in the news relative to allegations of institutional racism and sexism. However, when questioned by Lee Anderson, a member of parliament, the chair of the Authority, Rebecca Knox, was unable to answer some relatively simple questions about the decision to label her organization “institutionally racist.”

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A Cincinnati firefighter has filed suit alleging she was sexually harassed, assaulted by a lieutenant and a firefighter, and retaliated against when she reported the misconduct. Rebecca Bryant filed suit today against the city, former Lieutenant Harold Wright, and firefighter Damonte Brown as defendants.

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The former fire chief in Evansville, Indiana is facing allegations that he sexually harassed a female employee, which in turn prompted his resignation last fall. The unidentified victim reported that the chief filmed her without her permission, and complimented her on her appearance and the way she dressed.

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A former FDNY firefighter who claims to have been sexually assaulted and racially discriminated against on his first day in the firehouse, has lost his latest legal battle. The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals has declined to overturn a jury verdict in favor of the city in a suit brought by Gordon Springs.

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A Nevada firefighter is facing three counts of possession of child pornography following an investigation into digital imagery located on several devices in the firehouse. Isiah Tureaud, 34, was arrested by Las Vegas Metro police following the discovery of the imagery on January 2, 2024.

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A Florida district chief who was terminated in 2022, has been given one final opportunity to refile an amended complaint before his wrongful termination suit is dismissed. Palm Beach County District Chief Christopher DeVito claims he was wrongfully terminated ostensibly over a risqué texting relationship he had with a subordinate.

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A Harris County jury has awarded a former Houston firefighter $250,000 in damages against her former captain for unlawfully sharing a nude video of her. Melinda Abbt filed suit against Captain John Chris Barrientes and the city, alleging sexual harassment and violation of a Texas law titled “Unlawful Disclosure or Promotion of Intimate Visual Material.”

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A nurse who was hired by a Missouri fire department in April, 2022 has filed suit claiming that sexual harassment forced her to request a reduction to part-time status in September, 2022 and resign in December, 2022. Christeena Ferguson filed suit alleging 3 counts of sexual harassment and discrimination against the Southern Jackson County Fire Protection District.

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An Ohio firefighter has filed a federal lawsuit accusing her fire chief of sexual assault and harassment. Rebekah Huskey claims that Port Clinton Fire Chief Kent Johnson engaged in longstanding pattern of harassment dating back years.

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A firefighter with the London Fire Brigade has been charged with voyeurism for secretly filming female colleagues as they showered at work. The firefighter, identified only as a 32-year old male, is also facing charges of sexually enticing girls under the age of 13.

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A female recruit who was terminated by Atlanta Fire Rescue in June of 2023, has filed suit claiming she was sexually harassed by a 70-plus year-old fire instructor. Amber Ellison filed suit last week in US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

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The US Attorney’s Office has announced it has both filed suit against the Baltimore County Fire Department for sexual harassment, and simultaneously settled the suit through a pre-arranged settlement agreement. The suit filed today alleges BCFD mishandled an investigation into the sharing of inappropriate photos of female firefighters.

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A federal court has dismissed a Kentucky fire department and two chief officers from a lawsuit brought by a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by an off-duty firefighter. The suit was brought by Emmalee Young, and accused former City of Paris firefighter William Michael Fields Jr. of providing her with alcohol, sexually assaulting her, and creating child pornography by recording it.

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