The Baltimore County Fire Department has settled a sexual harassment lawsuit that accused the department of inadequately responding to reports of a male employee distributing inappropriate photos of female employees. The county has agreed to pay US$275,000 to compensate the female employees harmed by the harassment, as announced by the Department of Justice in a news release on September 5.
According to the complaint filing, eleven women were targeted in the sexual harassment incidents.
Baltimore County Fire Chief Joanne Rund stated in a news release, “Every employee deserves to feel safe in the workplace and I am proud of the progress we have started under my tenure to diversify our department and strengthen our culture. Through this agreement, the Department is sending a clear message that Baltimore County will not tolerate harassment in the workplace and I fully support the steps required to ensure we are doing all we can to be supportive of all of our people.”
The county acknowledged in the release that the harassment occurred before the current administration, but they are partnering with federal authorities to ensure a safe and supportive workplace free from discrimination. Federal officials have accused the fire department of failing to adequately investigate the reports of harassment and failing to communicate with the affected women, thus perpetuating a hostile work environment.
According to the complaint, in June 2017, a male employee of the fire department received a Facebook message from an anonymous person soliciting a nude photo of another employee. The employee who received the message immediately notified his supervisors and the police. Another male employee received a similar message along with photos of two women and also reported it to the police. The police requested the fire department to refrain from conducting an internal investigation to avoid interfering with their inquiry.
The women who were targets of this harassment did not receive any communication about the investigation and were left to gather information through rumor mill and rumors. Eventually, several photos of female employees in bikinis were posted on a “revenge porn” social media site, which one of the victims discovered and reported to the police.
The fire department failed to advise the women about their quarters or working shifts in relation to the individual soliciting photos of them. The police department later confirmed his identity, and the fire department suspended him. However, the department never interviewed him about how he obtained the photos and whether he still possessed any.
Following the incidents, the fire department conducted a 15-minute online sexual harassment training. Investigators have deemed the department’s inaction as both objectively and subjectively hostile to the victims.
The matter was initially referred to the Baltimore Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but their conciliation attempts with the fire department were unsuccessful, leading to the case being referred to the Department of Justice. After several years, the county and the federal government have reached a settlement.
As part of the consent decree, the fire department is required to overhaul its process for investigating sexual harassment claims and regularly train employees on sexual harassment in the workplace, among other additional measures.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized the importance of addressing sexual harassment in the firefighting industry, saying, “Addressing sexual harassment in the firefighting industry is critical to efforts to bring more women into a profession where they have faced historic rates of exclusion, marginalization, and discrimination.” – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
