Hopefully city learned lessons from harassment case

Petaluma settled a sexual harassment lawsuit for $1.25M|

The city of Petaluma just learned a costly, $1.75 million lesson. That is the amount the city has agreed to pay, including legal fees, to settle a sexual harassment case brought on by one of its first female firefighters.

When Andrea Waters was hired as a Petaluma firefighter in 2008, she became the first female to hold that position in 40 years. Waters alleged in her lawsuit that the city and the fire department was not set up to have a female in that role, despite equal employment opportunity protections.

In her complaint, filed in November 2014, Waters alleged that she was not given separate shower and sleeping facilities during long shifts at Petaluma firehouses. Indeed, the firehouses were not equipped with separate facilities for women. As a result, she claimed that she was walked in on while changing and made to feel uncomfortable.

Her lawsuit also alleged a culture within the fire department, where a woman’s work was hypercriticized and undervalued. The fire service in general has always been a largely fraternal network, dominated by men attracted to the physical labor and risk of the position. But the modern fire service, like the rest of society, has been evolving and welcoming of women in roles traditionally served by men.

Petaluma’s fire department, was apparently behind the curve in this evolution.

Waters’ claim alleged that she was denied training regularly given to her male counterparts. She claimed that her job performance was scrutinized above her male colleagues, that criticisms were fabricated and that she was held to unreasonable standards.

Without admitting guilt, the city settled with Waters for $1.25 million, after spending $500,000 in legal fees. For its part, the city said that Waters did not give supervisors a chance to address her concerns and instead filed the lawsuit while on a leave of absence.

Sexual harassment of any city employee should never be tolerated, and the city has a zero tolerance policy. Still, the Petaluma Fire Department needs to undergo a sea change to ensure that this never happens again.

There is evidence that this change is already taking place, that the culture that allows this behavior to pervade is being phased out. Fire Chief Leonard Thompson, hired less than two years ago, has made a positive impact on the department. More women are being hired, and sexual harassment training is now taken seriously.

Much of Waters’ complaint could have been avoided if the fire department had adequate facilities for female firefighters, and inexpensive solutions, such as hanging privacy curtains, seem to have cost the city more in the long run. Fire department facilities still need to be upgraded to accommodate women, but to address this will take funding. All fire department facilities are in need of general upgrades, and the city must prioritize funds to make this happen.

Female employees must never be made to feel uncomfortable doing their job. This is even more important when their job is to save the property and lives of Petaluma residents.

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