Lauren Ruef
Electronic Journalism
January 28, 2008
Electronic Journalism
January 28, 2008
Tracy Jarman has confronted opposition as San Diego’s first female fire chief in more ways than one. The recent controversy she faced with the participation of her department in a gay pride parade in July of 2007, and the subsequent lawsuit that followed has increased public awareness of her presence.
Serving as Fire chief for the city of San Diego since 2006, Tracy Jarman has felt the backdraft of a different kind of storm than the one which engulfed Southern California in late October. Jarman, an open lesbian who resides in Del Mar with her partner Marcia Bonini, faced the complaints of four firefighters under her jurisdiction who produced a law suit against the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department on August 1, 2007, claiming to have been forced to participate in a gay pride parade of the previous month .
Sexual harassment complaints were filed by John C. Ghiotto, Jason Hewitt, Chad S. Allison and Alexander R. Kane, who claimed to have been subjected to lewd remarks and inappropriate gestures while serving in the parade against their will. In the lawsuit, these men stated that their battalion chief gave them a direct order to ride in the parade, and they obeyed out of fear that refusal to do so would lead to disciplinary action.
Jarman was not explicitly named in this lawsuit; however she made a public statement of apology on behalf of the department for this incident. She said, “I am deeply concerned and troubled by the allegations that have been made. I take them seriously."
The four firefighters reportedly asked the city for $750,000 each in compensation, as confirmed by two sources informed on the proceedings. Since August of 2007, a new policy has been negotiated between Jarman and the local firefighters union that department members involved in any subsequent parades will volunteer their participation and receive 4 hours of overtime pay. The civil suit has entered into mediation and is currently undergoing litigation between parties.
Sources Consulted
San Diego Union Tribune Website: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061217/news_lz1c17chief.html
San Diego Magazine Website: http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/media/San-Diego-Magazine/January-2008/Tracy-Jarman/
San Diego Metropolitan Uptown Examiner & Daily Business Report
http://sandiegometro.com/dbr/index.php?dbrID=1098
http://sandiegometro.com/dbr/index.php?dbrID=1098
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