Dispatcher’s Lawsuit Documents Profane Outbursts

A former Blair County (Penn.) public safety dispatcher has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the county, alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation. Kelli Sawyers claims that when arriving at work during training in 2006, she, “always waved and smiled and said good morning to the dispatchers and to the supervisor.” But after she passed by, “The dispatchers said horrible, foul, and nasty things about Plaintiff and other trainees.” A veteran dispatcher called a trainee who had a knee injury a “fat f— with a cane” and other veterans called the trainees “morons,” the lawsuit states. The motive for the trainee comments was apparently resentment that the new employees would be taking overtime hours away from the veterans, the lawsuit sets out. Sawyers says she also witnessed violations of privacy laws when dispatchers would disclose medical patient information to outsiders, make rude comments to callers, and make profane remarks about firefighters who called on the radio. The lawsuit also claims that a female dispatcher brought pornographic videos into the comm center to watch, along with many other profane outbursts by dispatchers. Download (pdf) the full lawsuit here.