Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
Four chief officers in the Monarch Fire Protection District have been terminated following an appeals court ruling in a sexual harassment suit.
On November 15, 2011, the Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a jury verdict in favor of two female firefighters who claimed they were subjected to a hostile work environment. Four days later, on November 19, 2011, the fire protection district’s board voted 2-0 in favor of the terminations.
Exactly why the four chiefs, Assistant Chief Les Crews, Deputy Chief Cary Spiegel and battalion chiefs Fred Goodson and Mike Davis, were singled out for discipline remains unclear. The fire chief, Clifford “Chip” Biele, is retiring November 30, 2011 and was not among those dismissed.
When asked by a reporter afterwards if the board terminated the right employees, board president Kim Evans was evasive. “We addressed all the personnel who were named within this lawsuit, that was confirmed on the appeal”.
