Tag Archives: sex discrimination

The City of Chicago has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a fire department paramedic over how she was treated during her pregnancy and while nursing. Sarah Spriesch filed suit last year accusing the Chicago Fire Department of pregnancy discrimination under state and federal law, sex discrimination under state and federal law, and violation of the Nursing Mother’s Act.

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A firefighting camp for girls sponsored by the San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation has been cancelled after a civil rights attorney complained that it discriminated against boys. The Second Annual Girls Empowerment Camp was intended introduce girls ages 14 to 18 to career opportunities in the fire and emergency services

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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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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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The Salt Lake City Civil Service Commission has overturned the demotion of Fire Marshal Martha Ellis, finding that the city wrongly demoted her in last year. Chief Ellis was demoted from battalion chief to captain for an "apparent lack of engagement with [her] current assignment, a lack of ownership of [her] job responsibilities, an inability or unwillingness to follow instructions ..."

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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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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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Twelve female paramedics who were discharged or suspended by the Chicago Fire Department have filed suit against the City of Chicago claiming that two new physical abilities test administered to them in the academy illegally discriminated against them.

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A female recruit who was fired on graduation day from the Fort Wayne Fire Department’s training academy in 2014, has filed suit alleging gender discrimination. Victoria Bolden filed suit on July 21, 2016 claiming that her termination on June 10, 2014 was based on her gender.

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On the heals of a firefighter suicide associated with allegations of sex-based cyberbullying, two sexual harassment lawsuits, and an investigation into sexually inappropriate photos being posted by the department’s investigating officer, a female battalion chief has filed a sexual harassment suit.

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