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Leduc Firefighters Sex Abuse Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: Two female firefighters have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the City of Leduc.
- Why: They claim they were subjected to systemic sexual harassment and abuse when they worked for the Leduc Fire Department.
- Where: The sex abuse class action lawsuit was filed in Canada.
Two women have filed a class action lawsuit alleging that they were subjected to systemic sexual harassment and abuse during their employment as firefighters with the Leduc Fire Department.
In their proposed sex abuse class action lawsuit against the City of Leduc, which they filed on Feb. 24, the firefighters allege they were subjected to discrimination, bullying, physical assault and sexual assault while they worked for the Leduc Fire Department.
Because of the sex abuse and harassment to which they were subjected, the women say they were unable to advance in their careers. Further, they allege they experienced post-traumatic stress disorder.
“The fire department created a system and culture where the abuse of female firefighters was systemic, common and tolerated and any attempts to report such abuse were suppressed through retaliation, harassment, and bullying,” the Leduc Fire Department sex abuse class action lawsuit states.
The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit on behalf of themselves and a proposed class of women who worked at the Leduc Fire Department since 2000.
Leduc Fire Department Class Action Describes Sex Assault, Fear of Retaliation
Plaintiff Christa Steele says she started working for Leduc Fire Services in 2002, and the sexual harassment and assault began almost immediately, according to the firefighter sex abuse class action lawsuit.
Steele claims her male colleagues touched her inappropriately, exposed their genitals and forced themselves on her. They also spread false rumours about her sex life, the lawsuit says.
Plaintiff Mindy Smith also alleges she experienced sexual assault and harassment while employed with the Leduc Fire Department. In her case, she says she was sexually assaulted by a male firefighter.
In Smith’s case, an investigation into the the male firefighter’s actions led to his termination, but according to the class action lawsuit, he continued to attend fire service events even though he was banned from doing so.
The Leduc Fire Department lawsuit says a third-party investigation substantiated the plaintiffs’ allegations, prompting them to take legal action against the fire department. They claim the City of Leduc and the Leduc Fire Department failed to provide a safe workplace, and that they breached class members rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Other female employees of the fire department remain unwilling to come forward due to fear of retaliation, but have experienced similar incidents of discrimination, harassment and assaults,” Steele and Smith allege in the lawsuit.
The Leduc Fire Department is not the first Canadian organization to face allegations of systemic sex discrimination in the workplace. In October 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police pension plan was discriminatory against women who took a temporary reduction in working hours to support their families.
A pair of female corrections officers have also filed a class action lawsuit against the Correctional Service of Canada over allegations it has enabled a “toxic, misogynistic culture” within the workplace.
Have you experienced discrimination or sex abuse in the workplace? Join the discussion in the comments below!
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