Discrimination

A Mobile firefighter who claims she was told to grow her hair to cover a tattoo on her head, was nevertheless terminated after a complaint was filed over her hair. Kay’Ana Adams was fired by the Mobile Fire Department late last year.

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The settlement of race discrimination lawsuit brought by the former fire chief in Plainfield, New Jersey brings to a close a tumultuous few years for the city and its fire department. Fire Chief Frank Tidwell was suing the city and several local officials accusing them of a conspiracy to replace him with a white deputy chief.

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A volunteer firefighter in Colorado has filed suit claiming she was not hired for a paid position because of gender and age discrimination. Cynthia Winner filed suit against the Jefferson-Como Fire Protection District, its fire chief and a deputy chief.

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A firefighter with the District of Columbia has filed suit claiming that a supervisor physically assaulted her in the firehouse, and that she was retaliated against once she reported it. Anaje Boyd filed suit alleging violations of Title VII and the DC Human Rights Act, as well as retaliation.

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The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has upheld the bypass of a female military veteran for a position as a reserve firefighter in Somerville. Virginia Hussey challenged the city’s decision to bypass her hiring in 2021.

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A Miami firefighter at the center of a racially charged incident in 2017 that led to the termination of six firefighters, finds himself at the center of allegations that he beat a handcuffed prisoner. The incident occurred at Jackson Memorial Hospital in October, 2022 was caught on recently released security footage.

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A Sacramento firefighter is claiming that supervisors and colleagues discriminated against him on account of his race. Waris Gildersleeve filed suit against the city and two captains in US District Court for the Eastern District of California alleging race discrimination under federal and state law.

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A Boston firefighter who was placed on unpaid leave due to his failure to comply with the city’s COVID vaccination requirements has filed suit seeking $8,342,068.00 in damages from the city. Michael Browder Jr. filed suit in Suffolk County Superior Court yesterday.

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A Washington firefighter has filed suit claiming he was sexually harassed during his fire academy training by an instructor. Keanan Metcalfe filed suit in Snohomish County Superior Court naming the City of Everett, Snohomish County, Snohomish County Fire Protection, South ...

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Four members of the DCFEMS are asking a federal court to reopen two religious discrimination cases and find the city in contempt for violating a permanent injunction by enforcing the no beard requirement. Steven Chasin, Calvert Potter, Jasper Sterling, Hassan Umrani filed the action earlier this month

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The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a Massachusetts fire chief did not discriminate against a firefighter by requiring him to pose in his Class A uniform for an identification photo. Thomas Swartz filed suit claiming he was wrongfully disciplined by the Bourne Fire Department in 2016, in violation of his religious rights.

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Fire departments in Massachusetts are in an uproar after the Human Resource Division of the state’s civil service system announced a cancellation of all promotional testing following a ruling by a Superior Court judge that a promotional exam administered to police officers was discriminatory.

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The US Supreme Court has refused to consider the appeal of a transgendered fire chief from Georgia, leaving in place a ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of the city. Fire Chief Rachel Mosby was fired by the City of Byron shortly after she revealed that despite being born a male she identified as a female.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 31, 2022, Brad and Curt discuss a ruling that dismissed claims against four Oklahoma City firefighters who were accused of violating a patient’s civil rights by restraining him; a decision by ...

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