Employment Law: City to Pay $2.5 Million Over Gender Discrimination Suit

March 15, 2010

Fresno - In a landmark verdict, a federal judge has affirmed a jury decision granting a woman with nearly $2.5 million damages against the Fresno Fire Department for tolerating gender discrimination and harassment.

In a court ruling, the city was asked to pay Michele Maher with legal remedies after experiencing discriminatory practices that forced her out of the training academy.

Maher said she was unfairly graded on exam and has been set up to fail in certain tasks while she was in the fire department.

In 2008, the single mother has filed a lawsuit against the city fire department for violating a federal law that prohibits all forms of discriminatory practices on the basis of gender.

Aside from granting Maher with $2.46 million damages, the court ruling has denied the request for a retrial from the city which has argued that Maher has failed to provide “strong evidence”.