View Comments      Email Article       Printable Version

Published: September 8, 2008

“Bombarded with hundreds of sexual advances”

Trial nears in case of San Diego firefighters forced to take part in “gay pride” parade

Jury selection was scheduled to begin today in the case of four San Diego firefighters who have sued the city, saying they were forced to participate in the 2007 “Gay Pride” parade and subjected to sexually demeaning gestures and catcalls as a consequence.

Capt. John Ghiotto, engineer Jason Hewitt and firefighters Chad Allison and Alex Kane filed the civil lawsuit, alleging their superiors forced them, in full uniform and on their city fire truck, to attend the July 21, 2007 San Diego “Gay Pride” parade over their objections. They are being represented by the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center.

“You could not even look at the crowd without getting some kind of sexual gesture,” said one of the firefighters in a Law Center press release issued shortly after the event. “If any crew member were to hang up pictures at the station of what we saw, we would be disciplined.”

During the parade, the firefighters “were subjected to vile sexual taunts from homosexuals lining the parade route,” said the press release. Among the comments hurled at the firefighters as they traversed the parade route were “show me your hose,” “you can put out my fire,” “you’re making me hot,” “give me mouth-to-mouth,” “blow my hose,” according to the Law Center. When the firefighters did not respond, “some in the crowd turned hostile and started shouting, ‘F—k you firemen’ and others began ‘flipping them off,’” said the press release. Some bystanders committed lewd acts, directed at the firefighters, such as exposing their genitals, grabbing the crotch, and blowing kisses.

The four firefighters’ allege that their superiors told them on July 20 they would have to ride in the parade, and, when they protested, were told they must participate or face disciplinary action.

Following the incident, the San Diego Fire Department adopted a new policy providing that only volunteers would be used to represent it in special events. The new policy, worked out with Firefighters Local 145, says that the department will seek unpaid volunteers to drive trucks at all special events. If no one volunteers, the department will then ask for paid volunteers, who would receive four hours of overtime pay.

“What happened to these dedicated public servants was inexcusable,” said Charles LiMandri, the Thomas More Law Center’s West Coast director, who is representing the firefighters at trial. “The city should have known from past experience the kind of offensive activities that go on at this event. This was a clear case of sexual harassment in violation of state and federal law as well as the city’s own code of conduct.” ??

San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre, who has said he will personally represent the city during trial, told the San Diego Gay & Lesbian Times the parade “is a positive, joyous event, and not inherently sexual” and that the objectionable conduct about which the firefighters complained was “isolated and minimal.”

LiMandri told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the firefighters’ supervisors were already aware from past parades of the kind of conduct to expect from parade-goers, but still insisted the four participate anyway. “These guys were bombarded with hundreds of sexual advances,” LiMandri told the newspaper. And, he added, “You can't force an employee to be in a political event.”

© California Catholic Daily 2008. All Rights Reserved.