NEW: Harmony Fire District Charged With Sex Discrimination by RI ACLU
Thursday, November 12, 2015
The ACLU of RI has filed a sex discrimination charge against the Harmony Fire District on behalf of Kimberly Perreault, an Harmony EMT/firefighter of 12 years, who was terminated from her job after she and others voiced concerns that male and female firefighters were being treated differently.
The charge was filed with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights and the Equal Opportunity Commission.
See a Copy of the Complaint Here.
The charge alleges that Perreault's firing was in retaliation for concerns that were raised at a Harmony Fire District Board meeting in October of last year.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPerreault said in the complaint "“I had not expressed unhappiness with the Department. I had expressed concern that the Department was not treating women on a level field with men. I believed that I was discriminated against because of my gender and retaliated against because of my opposition to discrimination and the perception that I was supporting a complaint of opposition to the existence of gender discrimination in the Harmony Fire Department.”
After Perreault was fired, the other female EMT/Firefighter who raised concerns about gender discrimination was later terminated for similar reasons. Male firefighters who raised concerns have not been disciplined or terminated.
“The troubles with fire districts, which seem to operate like little fiefdoms, appear to go deep and wide. It is disturbing to now see discrimination added to their list of transgressions. We hope to see this injustice rectified," said ACLU of RI executive director Steven Brown.
The Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights will now investigate the complaint.
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