Firefighter Bashed by Boss After Speaking Out

A federal lawsuit has been filed against the Robertson Fire Protection District in Missouri, accusing them of unfairly retaliating against a firefighter who spoke out against discriminatory conduct in the workplace.

The lawsuit claims that Steve Wilson, a firefighter, was subjected to acts of retaliation after providing testimony in support of a Title VII case brought by the Robertson Fire Protection District in 2007 on behalf of two former African-American firefighters.

Wilson’s deposition testimony in 2008 described how RFPD Chief David Tilley asked Wilson to participate in discriminatory conduct and how Wilson refused to do so.

The lawsuit alleges that the Robertson Fire Protection District retaliated against Wilson after he provided the testimony about the discriminatory conduct that occurred in the district.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is seeking to put an end to the retaliation, and to ensure that public employers like the Robertson Fire Protection District do not punish their employees for speaking out against discrimination.

“Employees who refuse to participate in discriminatory activity and provide testimony against their employers’ unlawful discrimination should be applauded, not punished,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.

The Robertson Fire Protection District’s actions are a clear violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits retaliation for opposing instances of employment discrimination.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, and seeks to put an end to the retaliation and to ensure that the Robertson Fire Protection District complies with the law.

The continued enforcement of Title VII has been a priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the department is committed to protecting the rights of all employees to speak out against discrimination without fear of retaliation.

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