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Sacramento Employment Law Blog

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Wrongful Termination for Reporting Harassment


A sex scandal that occurred among Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District is set to resurface in a lawsuit brought by a former captain for wrongful termination. The captain of the force alleges he was fired for reporting misconduct, including multiple on-the-job sexual acts. The former captain had also pushed for criminal investigations into sodomy and rape, among others crimes.

The Sac Metro Fire District, on the other hand, claims that the man was fired because he illegally altered computer records pertaining to the force.  The man’s attorneys obviously dispute that allegation, saying it the accusation is a pre-textual reason given to fire him and cover up the wrong doing.  Attorneys for the plaintiff say that statement is simply pretext, designed to detract jurors and others from the main issues of the case.

The underlying sexual harassment complaints that the captain received a call from a woman who reported being forced out of her job after she had sex at work with many male members of the department. That woman was sometimes forced into the activities against her will, she said. The woman contacted the plaintiff to describe the sensitive incidents. Most of the transcripts have been sealed to protect the individuals named in the documents. Only relevant excerpts will be permitted at trial. The district later paid the woman more than a half-million dollars to settle the claim.

The captain subsequently complained to higher-ups that a criminal investigation had never occurred, but nothing ever happened. In addition, no one implicated in the scandal was fired other than the man who reported the problems.

If you believe you have been retaliated against for reporting sexual harassment, or any illegal conduct for that matter, contact our experienced Sacramento sexual harassment lawyers today for a free consultation.  We take our employment cases on a contingent fee basis, meaning we do not get paid anything unless we are able to obtain compensation for you first.

Source:  www.sacbee.com, “Sac Metro sex scandal is backdrop for wrongful-termination trial” Denny Walsh, Jun. 10, 2013

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