Female Firefighter Wins Lawsuit

A jury has awarded $300,000 to the fire department’s first female lieutenant, who said she was harassed, threatened and discriminated against.

Ann Young charged in her lawsuit that male colleagues tried to push her off a building, threw debris from a fire at her and harassed her with pornography. She said her superiors retaliated against her for complaining.

“I’m just glad it’s over,” Young said after Friday’s verdict. “It was like a rape trial. I relived it. I was called a liar. Today I feel like I mean something.”

Young, 33, was one of the first four women to be hired by the department in 1987. She was promoted to lieutenant two years later. She went on leave in August and said she does not plan to return.