Historic $1.3 million settlement for 61-Year-Old lesbian firefighter after over two decades of discrimination in Kansas City

A 61-year-old lesbian firefighter and paramedic might soon receive a $1.3 million (approximately £971,000) settlement from Kansas City, Missouri,U.S.A., marking the largest in the city’s history, due to 21 years of experiencing ageist, sexist, and anti-LGBTQ+ abuse from her male colleagues, according to ‘LGBTQ Nation’. The city council is set to vote on whether to approve the settlement in exchange for her withdrawing her discrimination lawsuits against the city.

Rebecca Reynolds, who graduated from the Kansas City Fire Department Academy at around 40 years old, began working with predominantly younger male firefighters. She claims, according to court documents cited by The Kansas City Star, that her colleagues frequently belittled her and undermined her authority during emergency calls, even yelling and using profanity at her in front of others.

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One of her supervisors reportedly told Reynolds she was “not normal” because of her sexual orientation. Another allegedly commented, “That’s why they shouldn’t hire old people,” when discussing her medical equipment setup.

In March 2023, Reynolds claims a coworker deliberately tripped her, leading to a knee injury that required surgery. While she was on medical leave in September, a coworker named Pleaze Robinson III allegedly urinated on various items in her office, including training books, a bodyboard, a CD player, and other belongings, totalling $3,000 (approximately £2,240) in damage.

Upon her return to work, Reynolds noticed a strange odour in her office and found her belongings damp with a yellow liquid. She reported the incident to the police, indicating previous issues with Robinson, who had pled guilty to a road rage assault in 2019. Police reported that a urine sample from her CD player matched Robinson’s DNA, resulting in charges of first-degree harassment and property damage against him.

On Tuesday, the finance committee of the Kansas City Council recommended the full council approve the $1.3 million settlement. In return, Reynolds would drop her lawsuits against the city.

Nearly 46% of LGBTQ+ employees have faced unfair treatment in the workplace at some point in their careers due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, including instances of being fired, not hired, or harassed.

While the Biden Administration has instituted guidelines under Title VII to combat anti-LGBTQ+ workplace harassment, there is interest among Republicans and the conservative U.S. Supreme Court in rolling back these protections to permit institutional and religious-based anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination nationwide.

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