Kansas Firefighter Alleges Sexual Harassment

A Kansas firefighter who was terminated in 2021 for “sewing seeds of distrust and discord” has filed suit against her former employer alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation. Jessica Shrewsbury filed suit against Shawnee Heights Fire District and the Shawnee County Board of Commissioners.

Shrewsbury alleges she was treated in a “demeaning and dismissive” manner by her supervisor, and when she complained she was retaliated against and ultimately terminated. The allegations include the following (these are summaries not quotes):

• She made numerous suggestions and/or contributions that were rejected, but if males made the same suggestions they were praised;
• Projects she worked on were not given the credit that male firefighters received;
• Her battalion chief referred to her as “his firefighter” whereas he did not refer to other firefighters as “his firefighters”;
• Her battalion chief on several occasions made close physical contact with her that was either unnecessary or inappropriate;
• After she complained about the conduct to the fire chief, the conduct intensified.

The complaint is 26 pages in length and includes 151 numbered paragraphs. The above is simply a cursory review of the allegations. In the end, Shrewsbury was terminated. Quoting from the complaint:

• On March 15, 2021, Plaintiff received a termination letter from Defendants.
• In said termination letter, Mr. Deibert falsely accuses Plaintiff of engaging in “rumors and gossip,” and writes that Plaintiff’s termination is based on Plaintiff electing “to simply pursue a campaign against Battalion Chief Balsmeier with the other members of this department, by sewing seeds of distrust and discord.”
• In other words, Defendants terminated Plaintiff in an act of retaliation for Plaintiff expressing her concerns and experiences regarding Mr. Balsmeier.
• Plaintiff was not terminated for cause and the termination was in bad faith, based in discrimination and retaliation, as described throughout this complaint.
• Plaintiff was terminated after reporting multiple instances of ongoing sexual harassment and disparate treatment by a member of her supervisory staff, which occurred on the basis of Plaintiff’s sex.
• Plaintiff complained to Defendant SHFD’s highest ranking official and persons with authority at Defendants’ workplace on multiple occasions, asking that such harassment, discrimination, and retaliation based on Plaintiff’s sex cease and stop.
• Defendants took no action to intervene or prevent the harassment, discrimination, and retaliation taking place at Defendants’ workplace based on sex.
• Defendants demoted, suspended, and ultimately terminated Plaintiff due to her complaints regarding the harassment and disparate treatment by her supervisor, which occurred on the basis of Plaintiff’s sex, an act of retaliation by Defendants.
• The demotion, suspension, and ultimately termination described through this complaint were discriminatory and also in retaliation for reporting this aforementioned discrimination and harassment due to sex.

Here is a copy of the complaint: