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Concern Raised About Sexism in Houston Fire Department
TERRI LANGFORD
Houston Chronicle
Reprinted with Permission
On the day that Houston firefighter Jane Draycott returned to Station 54 for the first time after accusing her colleagues of harassment, she was met by the fire chief, his command staff, a psychologist and at least a dozen coworkers for what the chief dubbed a “team building” session.
(Chavez Squared/Houston Chronicle)
Related
Instead, according to Draycott, it turned into an “insulting” and “demeaning” confrontation with her male peers that played out in front of the chief. On Thursday, Mayor Annise Parker called the episode a display of “poor judgment” on the part of Fire Chief Phil Boriskie and members of the command staff who were present.
According to Draycott, the men aired rumors and grievances and questioned her sanity. The meeting on Wednesday eventually resulted with her walking off the job again.
Boriskie told the Houston Chronicle “the purpose of the meeting was to lay down the expectations and the treating of people with respect and professionalism in the transition of Jane coming back.”
But the four-hour session not only raised more questions about the department's leadership and handling of Draycott's harassment complaints, but also drew an admonishment from Parker, who called the chief after hearing about the meeting.
‘Hurtful things'
“I do not condone, nor will I tolerate what occurred at Station 54,” Parker's statement read. “… They tried to conduct a standard debrief that veered in an inappropriate direction. Obviously, this continues to be a very emotional situation that has caused tension all around. My goal is to bring it to an end as quickly as possible.”
Problems at Station 54 started after Draycott and firefighter Paula Keyes were greeted by racist and sexist graffiti scrawled on the walls of their dorm on July 7, three months after the two had complained about continuing harassment from co-workers.
Since then, the matter has been under investigation by the city's Office of Inspector General. It remains an open investigation.
Boriskie admitted on Thursday some “hurtful things” were said at the meeting.
Draycott said a captain conducted roll call as soon as she arrived at 7 a.m. and then unexpectedly read a prepared statement detailing why he felt unsafe having her return to the station; he urged her to take a transfer.
“Why do you want to come back here when nobody wants you,” Draycott recalled the captain telling her in front of Boriskie and firefighters. “I had my hands over my face, bawling.”
Draycott said she looked to the command staff for support and while they seemed startled, they silently allowed the captain to continue. Eventually, Boriskie said, he called a stop to it.
Draycott said the insults continued as each of her shift-mates were allowed to talk about how they felt about her returning. Some firefighters blamed her presence in the fire station for marital rifts at home, she said.
“There were firefighters who were mentally hurt. It was supposed to transition our employees,” Boriskie said.
Draycott is now on paid leave. She vows to return to Station 54 after the OIG investigation is complete.
The mayor said she, too, is waiting on the report from the inspector general's office.
“I will take appropriate personnel action once the OIG investigation is concluded. Every city employee deserves a supportive and non-hostile workplace,” Parker said.
Critics continue to claim the department is plagued by a troubling, even sexist, culture where only 2 percent of the department's firefighters are women.
Calendar investigated
They point to a 2010 calendar currently being sold by the HFD Pipes and Drum team, which features a scantily clad and nearly bare-breasted female firefighter.
“It's pretty indicative of your view of women,” said Joe Ahmad, the attorney for Draycott, Keyes and other female firefighters. “The problem with photos like this is they maintain the image of women who aren't viewed in term of being competent at the workplace but merely as sexual objects.”
Parker said an Office of Inspector General's investigation has begun into whether any departmental rules were broken regarding the calendar.
“This calendar is not sanctioned by HFD,” Parker said in her statement. “Of course, anyone has guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and speech. However, there is an expected code of conduct to which we want city employees to adhere.”
For a good cause
Heather Arnold, a Houston firefighter, was the calendar's model. While she admits to friends on her Facebook page that it is a little “risque,” she messaged the Chronicle that it is merely a fundraiser for a good cause.
“The calendar was created to raise money for our very dedicated Pipe and Drum Corp,” she wrote. “They participate in many events across the US on their own time and many times their own dime. I was honored to be able to help them. I hope that your intentions will be to portray HFD and our Pipe and Drum Team as well as the fund raiser in a positive light.”
terri.langford@chron.com
Houston Chronicle
Reprinted with Permission
On the day that Houston firefighter Jane Draycott returned to Station 54 for the first time after accusing her colleagues of harassment, she was met by the fire chief, his command staff, a psychologist and at least a dozen coworkers for what the chief dubbed a “team building” session.
(Chavez Squared/Houston Chronicle)
Related
According to Draycott, the men aired rumors and grievances and questioned her sanity. The meeting on Wednesday eventually resulted with her walking off the job again.
Boriskie told the Houston Chronicle “the purpose of the meeting was to lay down the expectations and the treating of people with respect and professionalism in the transition of Jane coming back.”
But the four-hour session not only raised more questions about the department's leadership and handling of Draycott's harassment complaints, but also drew an admonishment from Parker, who called the chief after hearing about the meeting.
‘Hurtful things'
“I do not condone, nor will I tolerate what occurred at Station 54,” Parker's statement read. “… They tried to conduct a standard debrief that veered in an inappropriate direction. Obviously, this continues to be a very emotional situation that has caused tension all around. My goal is to bring it to an end as quickly as possible.”
Problems at Station 54 started after Draycott and firefighter Paula Keyes were greeted by racist and sexist graffiti scrawled on the walls of their dorm on July 7, three months after the two had complained about continuing harassment from co-workers.
Since then, the matter has been under investigation by the city's Office of Inspector General. It remains an open investigation.
Boriskie admitted on Thursday some “hurtful things” were said at the meeting.
Draycott said a captain conducted roll call as soon as she arrived at 7 a.m. and then unexpectedly read a prepared statement detailing why he felt unsafe having her return to the station; he urged her to take a transfer.
“Why do you want to come back here when nobody wants you,” Draycott recalled the captain telling her in front of Boriskie and firefighters. “I had my hands over my face, bawling.”
Draycott said she looked to the command staff for support and while they seemed startled, they silently allowed the captain to continue. Eventually, Boriskie said, he called a stop to it.
Draycott said the insults continued as each of her shift-mates were allowed to talk about how they felt about her returning. Some firefighters blamed her presence in the fire station for marital rifts at home, she said.
“There were firefighters who were mentally hurt. It was supposed to transition our employees,” Boriskie said.
Draycott is now on paid leave. She vows to return to Station 54 after the OIG investigation is complete.
The mayor said she, too, is waiting on the report from the inspector general's office.
“I will take appropriate personnel action once the OIG investigation is concluded. Every city employee deserves a supportive and non-hostile workplace,” Parker said.
Critics continue to claim the department is plagued by a troubling, even sexist, culture where only 2 percent of the department's firefighters are women.
Calendar investigated
They point to a 2010 calendar currently being sold by the HFD Pipes and Drum team, which features a scantily clad and nearly bare-breasted female firefighter.
“It's pretty indicative of your view of women,” said Joe Ahmad, the attorney for Draycott, Keyes and other female firefighters. “The problem with photos like this is they maintain the image of women who aren't viewed in term of being competent at the workplace but merely as sexual objects.”
Parker said an Office of Inspector General's investigation has begun into whether any departmental rules were broken regarding the calendar.
“This calendar is not sanctioned by HFD,” Parker said in her statement. “Of course, anyone has guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and speech. However, there is an expected code of conduct to which we want city employees to adhere.”
For a good cause
Heather Arnold, a Houston firefighter, was the calendar's model. While she admits to friends on her Facebook page that it is a little “risque,” she messaged the Chronicle that it is merely a fundraiser for a good cause.
“The calendar was created to raise money for our very dedicated Pipe and Drum Corp,” she wrote. “They participate in many events across the US on their own time and many times their own dime. I was honored to be able to help them. I hope that your intentions will be to portray HFD and our Pipe and Drum Team as well as the fund raiser in a positive light.”
terri.langford@chron.com
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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There is something about burning your bridges. You might have to come across again.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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It isn't until one is halfway through the article that it even alludes to what this is all about. Even then the information is sketchy at best. The two female ff's say they were sexually harassed and complained, then 3 months later comments were written on their dorm walls.
What was the original complaint? Why wasn't it handled in-house? Did the complaint lack merit? Or did the house captain choose to look the other way, in effect encouraging the harassment. Or is it just a case of she-said-he-said? On the other hand, it is Texas.
I'm guessing that the only valid point to this post is that it involves firefighters. The fact that too many facts are missing to draw any conclusions one way or the other makes me think that this post is here simply to fill space. Kind of like posting a discussion based solely on rumor. Wonder where the news/posts are that show women on the job functioning as competent firefighters? I guess being equal just isn't newsworthy. Kali, Spanner.....?
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Hiscock on
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it beats me as to why the officer(s) didn't handle this in the in-house session...this isn't fair to the women that are stationed into other stations in other states, everyone no matter male or female has a fair right to join/enlist in any first responce system no matter if it's military, fire service, ect. if they are medically fit to do the job then it's up to the other officers to provide the proper traning without harassing the staff while doing so....we currently have one female at our station and we treat her with the respect that she deserves and there are no "privledges" provided to any of them....at the end of the day everyone is going home safe.
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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Who knows what actually went down in this situation? Is it about idiot firemen or money-grabbing females? Either way, completely unacceptable.
There is one thing I'm absolutely sure of: I have a new Facebook "Friend" candidate to get in touch with. (In a manner of speaking.)
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Permalink Reply by Doug on
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http://statter911.com/
NEW- Houston fire chief out after botched sensitivity/grievance session: At 7:00 this morning Houston firefighters were notified that Chief Phil Boriskie would be stepping down. At 8:30 the chief gathered the press to say he was stepping aside and returning to the firehouse after six-years as chief. Certainly not a bit of a surprise after last week’s gathering the chief ran at Station 54 to welcome back Firefighter Jane Draycott. Draycott is the firefighter who reported some not so nice graffiti in the women’s locker room and then became the target of the investigation. What was apparently someone’s idea that there should be “a can’t we all get along” type meeting attended by the chief blew up as a station captain and two other firefighters read letters saying why they didn’t want Draycott at their firehouse. Talk about making a bad situation worse.
The Houston Chronicle has this quote from IAFF Local 341 President Jeff Caynon: “The truth is, Chief Boriskie was a victim of his good nature and management style, both of which left him vulnerable to political attack. For the past year, the opportunist politicians, extremist activists and disgruntled city employees who recklessly stereotyped local firefighters also treated the chief despicably.”
Houston’s mayor is expected to have her briefing on the fire chief situation later today.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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I don't see any difference in the FFN posting this article about women and sexism in the fire service and the December 2009 FFN posting about firefighters and nooses... Both are designed to elicit emotion and controversy and neither deserve further comment. Stick to the basics and leave out things that don't provide anything positive to other websites out there...
CBz
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Captain Busy,
I'm not sure I understand you. Are you saying FFN shouldn't post anything which is, or could be, embarrassing to the fire service, or are you saying FFN shouldn't post anything which is, so far, unsubstantiated and under investigation?
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Anyone?
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WP,
What I am identifying is that the FFN is using tabloid style tactics to create discussions and they really don't have too. This site stands on it's own merit and posts from firefighters. I am not saying that we should not post things that are embarrassing to the fire service, this is often times lessons learned so these types of posts should be thought of as beneficial. This could include things that are unsubstantiated and under investigation.
Just trying to raise the bar here, nothing else. Posting the naked women calendar was kind of cheesy but admittedly, did get my attention... I just don't think it's necessary.
CBz
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I agree with everything you said after the first sentence. I don't know that reprinting a story from the Houston Chronicle necessarily constitutes "tabloid style tactics". FFN may indeed have been doing what you claim or simply bringing to the fore a matter of great importance.
At any rate, the calendar did more than "get my attention" - it was more like a physiological response. And I did get in touch with her on Facebook. I even got her phone number! I don't remember it off the top of my head, but it's 555 something. I have it written down somewhere. (I'm not bragging, but I must really have a way with these girls.)
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