(Photo of Orlando Fire Department from PXhere.com)
ORLANDO | An openly gay firefighter filed a lawsuit against the City of Orlando, alleging he has been discriminated against by the Orlando Fire Department because of his sexual orientation.
In a lawsuit filed May 3 with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Theodore M. Washington alleges that he suffered verbal attacks and mistreatment starting just days into the start of his employment in June 2019.
The suit alleges that within his first week of employment, Washington was told to take down a photograph of his boyfriend from his work cubicle and to keep his private life private. Washington declined to take the photograph down saying, according to the suit, that most of his co-workers — including Deputy Fire Marshal Alvin Sims, who made the request — were permitted to have pictures of significant others and loved ones in their workspace.
The suit states that after that incident, Washington’s work environment changed and became more hostile with co-workers ostracizing him and treating him differently. Over the course of the next several months, Washington was subject to public outbursts and humiliation from several co-workers, according to the suit, including by Sims and Inspector Mark Williams.
In one incident, the suit alleges that Williams told Washington to “get that gay shit away from me. I’m not with all that gay shit.” When Williams was showing a female co-worker pictures on his phone. In another incident, the suit alleges that Sims told Washington “we hired you to carry yourself like a straight man.”
The suit states that Washington went to Fire Marshal Tammy Hughes in January 2020 to discuss the discrimination he had been suffering with from co-workers and was told by Hughes that she was taking over Washington’s training because she did not want “another sexual harassment case in this department,” likely referring to a 2019 sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a female firefighter that led to the city paying out a nearly $1 million settlement.
Even with Hughes statement, the harassment continued, the suit alleges, even escalating in retaliation for Washington complaining about the harassment.
The suit also alleges that Washington was overlooked for promotion, which he believes was due to his prior complaints of discrimination.
The suit also alleges that in June 2021, Washington was confronted by Hughes in a city parking garage and told that management was upset regarding Washington’s complaints and that they were trying to terminate him.
The suit also alleges that several complaints to the Labor Relations department were not resolved but instead the city continued the harassment and intimidation against Washington.
The suit alleges the harassment continued as recently as February when Sims told Washington to answer questions “like a man” when discussing why Washington had missed a training session.
The One Orlando Alliance issued a statement addressing the allegations, saying that they are “deeply concerned by the allegations.”
“We believe and extend our heartfelt support to the brave employee willing to name their experiences of harm,” the statement reads. “No employee should ever face homophobic comments and behavior at work. We know that these allegations will be thoroughly investigated, and we demand that all necessary steps be taken to ensure that this harmful work environment is addressed.”
According to the lawsuit, Washington is seeking compensation to include front pay in lieu of promotion to the position he sought, back pay, compensatory damages including emotional distress and attorneys’ fees.
In an email to Watermark, the City of Orlando stated that “we have not been served with this lawsuit. As such, we are not in a position to be able to provide any comment at this time.”
Read the One Orlando Alliance’s full statement below:
One Orlando Alliance is deeply concerned by the allegations of LGBTQ+ discrimination at Orlando Fire Department. We believe and extend our heartfelt support to the brave employee willing to name their experiences of harm. No employee should ever face homophobic comments and behavior at work. We know that these allegations will be thoroughly investigated, and we demand that all necessary steps be taken to ensure that this harmful work environment is addressed.
Orlando has made significant progress on LGBTQ+ inclusion in the six years since the Pulse tragedy. However, this lawsuit and the ongoing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights in the state of Florida and nationwide make clear that there are still many incidents of homophobia, transphobia, and bigotry even in places where progress has been made. We urge the City to continue moving forward to establish and defend the safety and equity of ALL LGBTQ+ people. As this situation unfolds, Orlando will need to repair and expand upon our reputation as a city leading the way in LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Through many local conversations and research of other inclusive municipalities, we have identified two next steps that can be taken for continued progress. First, LGBTQ+ liaisons should be established in all City agencies and departments to serve as advocates for LGBTQ+ employees and to help their agency or department connect with and serve our community. Second, the City should establish a Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs to be dedicated to the overall wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community in Orlando. As we face internal turmoil and nationwide campaigns against the LGBTQ+ community, we believe these steps will ensure our continued safety and progress in Orlando.
One Orlando Alliance remains committed to transforming all of Central Florida into a community where ALL LGBTQ+ people can belong and thrive.
