Former acting captain sues WA fire district over harassment allegations
Former fire captain sues Whatcom County district over harassment
Former Acting Captain Sheena Radder is suing Whatcom County Fire District 7 in federal court, alleging a decade of harassment and retaliation.
WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. - A former acting captain says Whatcom County Fire District 7 let harassment run wild for more than a decade. Now, she’s suing in federal court.
Sheena Radder, the woman who filed the lawsuit, says she spent nearly two decades dedicating her life to public service at Whatcom County Fire District 7, and it all went up in flames after repeated harassment and retaliation.
"I came forward, and I was pushed out," Radder said.
Allegations of sexual harassment at fire district
The backstory:
In her lawsuit, Radder describes a firehouse where women were targets. She describes her experiences as isolating and emotional. She says a male captain stole her bra from her locker and hung it in the station, and an all-male leadership team let it happen.
"I don't want anyone to be treated the way I was treated, first and foremost," Radder said.
The lawsuit alleges sexual comments, staring, being watched while she worked out, and unwanted physical contact by her male coworkers.
"This is multiple actors and, really, a culture in which the leadership watched for over a decade and chose to protect the men rather than standing up for the women," said Beth Bloom, Radder’s attorney.
What they're saying:
Radder says when she reported the problems in 2023, the district told her not to talk about it and dragged out an investigation.
"I was told at that time I was making some really big accusations, and that it was only going to be dealt with once," Radder said.
She says retaliation followed, including acting captain shifts being taken away, station moves, a denied promotion, and accusations she was spreading disinformation.
The lawsuit says a long investigation later confirmed two male managers had harassed her. Radder says the district barely responded and instead sent her to a life coach.
Radder resigned in April 2024 and was hired at a neighboring fire district.
The other side:
In a statement to FOX 13 Seattle, Fire Chief Ben Boyko said the claims are "without merit."
"Whatcom County Fire District 7 is aware that a lawsuit was recently filed by a former employee. The District takes allegations of this nature seriously. However, the claims outlined in the lawsuit are without merit, and the District intends to defend itself in court. Because this matter involves pending litigation, the District is not able to comment further at this time."
"This is my career. This is my chosen path. This is what I do, and I was made to feel like I wasn't going to go anywhere," Radder said.
Radder is suing for a hostile work environment, retaliation, and violations of Washington’s Silenced No More Act.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Dan Griffin.