Tag Archives: gender discrimination

A female firefighter who was fired a day after she filed suit for discrimination and retaliation, has been awarded her job back. Yesterday, US District Court Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich ordered the Tampa Fire Department to reinstate firefighter Tanja Vidovic.

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A female firefighter employed by a volunteer fire company who was fired earlier this year over a Facebook post, has filed suit against the department and the firefighters’ union claiming her termination was retaliation, gender discrimination and a breach of the union’s duty of fair representation.

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A jury has ruled that the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue did not discriminate or retaliate against an African American fire captain who claims she was wrongfully passed over for promotion. Captain Faye Davis sued the department and IAFF Local 1403 in 2012 accusing both of race and gender discrimination as well as retaliation.

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In a scathing 49-page decision, the Salt Lake City Civil Service Commission reversed the demotion of the fire department’s first female chief officer, and in the process raised serious questions over whether the department’s leadership targeted her.

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Last week was a very busy week Fire Law-wise. Besides the five headline stories I covered, there were a seemingly endless stream of additional cases that broke. Let’s take a quick look at several of the more important cases that otherwise would have slipped through the cracks.

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A firefighter recruit who washed out of a San Diego Fire Academy class due to an injury, and then failed a mandatory run at the start her second academy, has filed suit alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation. Nicole Pappas filed suit alleging four counts of state law employment discrimination...

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A female firefighter in a volunteer fire department in Pennsylvania has filed suit claiming she was demoted from her position as a lieutenant because she is a mother. Jessica Etzle filed suit against the Lower Swatara Fire Department in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

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A jury has awarded a San Jose battalion chief $800,000 for retaliation, while ruling in favor of the city on identical claims by a former fire captain. BC Patricia Tapia and Captain Debra Ward sued the city in 2014 claiming they has been unlawfully retaliated against after settling a discrimination lawsuit in 2012.

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The City of Lynchburg, Virginia is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former female firefighter who claims she was subjected to a sexually hostile work environment culminating in her decision to resign in 2015. Ruth Anne L. Phillips alleges she was subjected to “unlawful employment discrimination and hostile work environment based on age, gender, sex, sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation."

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A New Jersey city has agreed to settle a discrimination suit filed by a part-time EMT for $90,000. Donald Hymer filed suit last year against the City of Bridgeton and the head of Bridgeton EMS, Tiffany Durham, claiming wrongful termination and discrimination due to perceived sexual orientation.

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A Florida deputy chief who was passed over for promotion to fire chief has lost a sex discrimination suit that claimed the position was awarded to a less qualified male. Deputy Chief Shari Hall claimed that Marion County’s decision to promote another deputy chief was discriminatory because she was far more qualified.

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The son of Utica, New York Fire Chief Russell Brooks has filed suit against the city claiming he is being discriminated against on account of his religion and gender over the length of his hair. John Brooks, a Utica firefighter, filed suit in US District Court in December accusing the city of discrimination.

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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 ...

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Two Rhode Island firefighters supported by the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union are suing their former fire department and fire chief for sex discrimination. Kimberly Perreault and Linda Ferragamo claim that they were terminated from the Harmony Fire District after they spoke out about unfair conditions for female firefighters.

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