Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A New Jersey firefighter who was terminated last year, has filed suit in state court claiming sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Kira Castellon filed suit in Middlesex County Superior Court against Arbor Hose Company 1, Inc., Piscataway Fire District 3, and Piscataway Township.
The suit contends that between 2016 and 2019, Castellon was sexually harassed by a male firefighter on almost a daily basis. The harassment included groping, kissing, and “thrust[ing] his pelvis into her from all directions as his way of saying hello and goodbye.” The offensive behavior reportedly occurred in the presence of fire department officials, who did nothing to address it.
Castellon claims she was terminated for using the fire company’s tax-exempt number for personal purchases, but that the purchases in question were for legitimate fire company expenses. A copy of the complaint is not available.
