Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A wildland firefighter with the US Forest Service testified before Congress last week about what she considered to be pervasive sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the federal agencies that manage public lands.
Denice Rice, a Fire Prevention Technician for the Forest Service with over 20 years of experience, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about being repeatedly sexually harassed and ultimately assaulted by a supervisor who she characterized as a “predator”.
Rice has worked in the Eldorado National Forest in California for the past 15 years. She told the house panel that women who complain are often retaliated against. “I filed a complaint and the instant I filed everything changed. Management removed all of my supervisory responsibilities, moved me from my location, and isolated me.”
