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News Headlines and Ongoing Projects of Interest to Fire Service WomenGeneraliWomen Oral History Project Women in the Fire Service has initiated an oral history project that will collect and preserve the stories of fire service women. We need your help identifying women who should be interviewed, conducting the interviews, and funding the project. LAFD firefighter awarded $6.2 million A jury has awarded $6.2 million in compensatory damages to a Los Angeles firefighter who complained she had been harassed on the job because she is female, African-American, and a lesbian.
Brenda Lee, a 12-year veteran of the LAFD, filed her suit in 2005. It cited behaviors from supervisors and co-workers such as derogatory comments, her locker being ransacked, being singled out to do exhausting drills no other firefighters were required to do, finding her mouthwash had been mixed with urine, and being retaliated against when she complained of the treatment.
Jackson firefighters win harassment case Four Jackson, Mississippi, firefighters prevailed in their sexual harassment lawsuit against the Jackson Fire Department on May 30. A federal jury awarded them more than $750,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. The suit was filed by the International Association of Fire Fighters more than four years ago. Appeals Court: Inadequate Facilities and Gear = Sex Discrimination On March 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Louis found in favor of two women firefighters who have been tangling with the Kansas City Fire Department over discrimination, harassment, inadequate station facilities, and improperly fitting protective gear – and then over retaliation for filing the complaints – for more than ten years. The resulting decision is particularly important because it marks the first time a federal appeals court has stated that failure to provide adequate facilities and protective gear for women firefighters constitutes sex discrimination.
Changes & PromotionsNew chief for St. John Winifred Powell was named fire chief of the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands on May 16, 2007. She is the first woman to become chief in the Virgin Islands Fire Service. New chiefs in Illinois, Washington The Canton (Illinois) Fire Department and Puyallup (Washington) Fire and Rescue, have new chiefs as of late June / early July. Assistant Chief Bonnie Cremer will begin her duties as Canton's chief on July 16, and Deputy Chief Ruth Obadal took over as chief of Puyallup on June 30. Berkman Retires from FDNY Captain Brenda Berkman of the New York City Fire Department retired on September 14, 2006, after 24 years on the job. Berkman, who undoubtedly has more name recognition than any other female firefighter, is probably best known for filing the lawsuit that brought the first women onto the iconic New York City Fire Department in 1982. Three Toledo Firefighters Terminated Three female firefighters who had filed lawsuits over sex discrimination were terminated from the Toledo Fire Department on February 19. The TFD's administration had determined that the three had secretly taped conversations in the fire station. IAFF Local 92 president Jim Martin said the firing was "inappropriate" but estimated it could take a year or more to resolve the matter. Minneapolis Chief Accepts Demotion The embattled chief of the Minneapolis Fire Department accepted a demotion to the rank of staff captain, effective in late December. Bonnie Bleskachek, who has been targeted by several discrimination lawsuits by fire department employees and had been on administrative leave since March, had initially agreed to a settlement that would return her to the rank of captain. The city's executive council then rejected her offer and sought to fire her, but a final settlement resulted in the demotion, without severance pay. Past Events
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