A man says that he was singled out and treated unfairly by his co-workers and superiors. The employment discrimination lawsuit stems from a complaint originally made by the man in 2016, one which he feels was never properly handled. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, claims that the case has been dealt with and that it intends to support the legal process in any way it can.
The man originally joined the fire company in 2000 and later revealed his sexuality to his co-workers in 2013. He says that, after that time, he was discriminated against and taunted. He also claims that his superiors accused him of flaunting his sexuality and also spread rumors about him among his co-workers.
PTSD is also an issue for the firefighter. After witnessing the suicide of a co-worker, he requested to be moved from a post that managed a lot of car accident calls, which were triggering the individual’s trauma. However, when he showed up to the new post, he found that supervisors had already spread misinformation about him and considered him broken.
Eventually, the man was put on medical leave and has since filed for medical retirement from the state. The employment discrimination lawsuit is still pending. In California workplaces, individuals are protected from harassment and discrimination because of their damaging effects. A person who is also facing harassment issues may wish to take steps to correct the problem. Experienced attorneys are available to provide consultations about discrimination cases and help individuals seek justice.
Source: The Sacramento Bee, “Gay Cal Fire firefighter files discrimination lawsuit”, Adam Ashton, March 23, 2018