Lesbian firefighters may receive $1.3 million after suffering 21 years of horrifying harassment
The city council must now vote on whether to approve the settlement in exchange for her dropping her discrimination lawsuits against the city. Rebecca Reynolds, who graduated from the Kansas City Fire Department Academy at around 40 years old, began working with mostly younger male firefighter. Her colleagues repeatedly demeaned and challenged her authority during emergency calls, even screaming and swearing at her in front of patients and others, Reynolds alleged in court documents, according to The Kansas City Star.
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One supervisor reportedly told Reynolds that she was “not normal” because of her sexual orientation. Another allegedly remarked, “That’s why they shouldn’t hire old people,” when questioning her medical equipment set up.
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In March 2023, a coworker allegedly tripped her on purpose, causing a knee injury that required surgery. Pleaze Robinson, III, was on medical leave in September of the year following. He allegedly urinated all over her office items, including a bodyboard for recreation, a CD player and other items worth $3,000, while she was away. Reynolds reported the vandalism and told police that Robinson had been a problem for her. Robinson pleaded guilty to a road-rage assault in 2019. Police said that a sample of urine taken from her CD player matched Robinson’sDNA. In exchange, Reynolds would drop her discrimination lawsuits against the city. In exchange, Reynolds would drop her discrimination lawsuits against the city.
Nearly 46% of all LGBTQ+ workers have experienced unfair treatment at work during their lifetimes due to their sexual orientation or gender identity — including being fired, not hired, or harassed.
While the Biden Administration has recently issued guidelines under Title VII to prevent anti-LGBTQ+ workplace harassment, Republicans and the conservative U.S. Supreme Court has expressed interested in rolling back such protections to enable institutional and religious-based anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination nationwide.
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