Firefighters win harassment judgment, $34,300 in damages (Forced To Be In Homosexual Parade)

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | February 17, 2009 | Angelica Martinez

[icwhatudo]

SAN DIEGO – A jury found four San Diego firefighters who sued the city were sexually harassed after being ordered to participate in a gay pride parade.

---snip---

The firemen said they were subjected to sexually charged conduct and lewd comments while riding a fire engine in the July 2007 parade.

---snip---

The firemen said they were subjected to cat-calls and saw barely clothed men simulate sex acts along the route on University Avenue in Hillcrest.

[icwhatudo]

"During the second trial, Deputy City Attorneys Don Shanahan and Kristin Zlotnik attacked the firefighters' credibility and raised doubts about the complaints by pointing out the four were never touched."

So as long as you don't touch someone its ok to sexually harass?

Some pics from the 2007 San Diego Pride parade:

[FreepShop1]

$34k...is that a joke? The other way around it would be $34 million.

[Big_Monkey]

Personally, I couldn't care less what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home. However, when grown men climb atop a parade float and ride down the middle of the street in biker jackets and a$$-less chaps, I'm probably going to crack a joke or two.

If that makes me a homophobe, then I'm a homophobe.

[mass55th]

Your link is bad.

[HKMk23]

Agreed, except these particular firefighters AREN’T gay, and WERE ordered to participate in the parade against their will.

And ~$34K in settlement money essentially means they got the short end of this deal. It should have been at least ten times that. For EACH of them.

[ConservaTexan]

Your link is bad.

That may be a blessing in disguise.

[LachlanMinnesota]

wouldn’t even cover the fees and costs...Let’s see a jury from the same area using the same people that went to the parade. 34k sounds about right.

[icwhatudo]

They updated the story and changed its link: Here it is now

[Jeff Gordon]

It should have been at least ten times that.

If the situation were reversed, gay men forced to participate in a "yes on 8" parade, the judgment would have been at least 10x greater.

[acoulterfan]

Your link is bad.

Probably pulled by the SD Union!

[VR-21]

Today a bunch of Illegals were awarded $78,000 damages in a suit against a rancher who apprehended them on his land. Citizens forced to parade in front of a bunch of (proud) degenerates get less than half that.

Judges...JUDGES...JUDGES!

[stylin19a]

The freaking fire chief being a lesbian has nothing to do with this ?

[Karliner]

Hmm, could be a lead there....

[South40]

SD needs to fire the dyke fire chief who forced these men to participate in this exhibition of debauchery.

[Auntie Mame]

City attorneys said they will appeal the verdict.

Can you BELIEVE this? All through the article they mention the city has no money, the economy is bad but they're going to appeal a lousy $34,000 verdict?

“[The verdict] potentially affects the city's ability to have its employees perform assigned duties,” Zlotnik (one of the city's attorneys defending this case) said.

These people are nuts!