Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A California fire department is facing a sexual harassment suit filed by a female firefighter who claims that she was driven from the department due to a hostile workplace.
Andrea Waters filed suit against the City of Petaluma alleging she was subjected to a hostile work environment, discrimination, and retaliation. Waters, who was hired in 2008, resigned on May 23, 2014, sparking news articles that publically revealed some of her allegations.
The complaint [which I have yet to personally review] claims Waters was:
- treated as a second-class citizen
- denied training opportunities available to male firefighters
- held to different standards than male firefighters
- singled out and criticized for her performance
- hyper-scrutinized to the point that criticisms about her performance were fabricated
- subjected to living conditions in the fire house that lacked basic privacy permitting male firefighter to observe her in states of undress
- subjected to inappropriate comments from the male firefighters who observed her undressed
- denied the opportunity to trade work shifts due to the living conditions and lack of privacy
- subjected to retaliation when she complained about the harassment
The suit was filed in Sonoma County Superior Court. Waters is seeking damages for humiliation, mental anguish, emotional and physical distress, and lost wages and benefits.
