Fla. Firefighter`s Harassment Suit Details Alleged Abuse

Nov. 28--Firefighter Joanne Levings has been taunted about her weight and bullied by superiors because she dared to complain about them, a federal lawsuit claims.

Levings, a veteran firefighter with Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, has been harassed on the job for more than five years, according to a lawsuit filed this month against her employer and four supervisors.

"I thought the harassment was going to stop," said Levings, who says she complained about the behavior to upper management on several occasions from 2008 through 2013. "But another battalion chief took over and it continued. And another took over and it continued. All these men know each other. I would say it's like a good old boys' club."

The lawsuit, which seeks punitive damages and a jury trial, names five defendants: Sheriff Scott Israel, District Chief Harris Bouchillion and Battalion Chiefs Marc Cohen, Michael Clougherty and Joseph Murton.

A spokeswoman with the Broward Sheriff's Office declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

Walter Dix, union president for Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, also declined to comment.

The lawsuit claims the alleged harassment has hurt Levings' career advancement and earnings.

"Because of the harassment, she's been confined to the airport because she feels concerned about her safety," said Andrew OBeidy, one of her attorneys. "She's had to give up promotions. So they've stifled her career growth."

A firefighter-paramedic with 29 years of experience, Levings, 60, is stationed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Levings lives in Southwest Ranches with her husband of 40 years. She has three daughters.

Her lawsuit says Cohen, a supervisor, told coworkers in March 2008 that Levings was "f---- her brothers."

"In the fire service, we acknowledge each other as brothers and sisters," Levings told the Sun Sentinel. "So he meant firefighters. It was totally outrageous."

Levings filed a complaint with the agency's Internal Affairs and Equal Employment Opportunity divisions.

From that point on, she was subjected to what her attorney calls a "living hell."

"It was affecting her in multiple ways," OBeidy said. "Before this, she was well-regarded by most everyone on the job. And after this, she was ostracized. She would not go to retirement parties for fear of being bullied and harassed. There's no doubt it affected her emotionally."

A month after complaining about Cohen, Levings filed another complaint accusing him of threatening to "get even" with her as soon as he was cleared.

Levings met with then-Chief Joe Lello in April 2009 to discuss Cohen's behavior. Lello told her to forget about it, the lawsuit says.

A few weeks later, she met with former Sheriff Al Lamberti, but never heard back from him.

In September 2009, Levings filed a complaint accusing Clougherty, another supervisor, of unprofessional behavior. In retaliation, he gave her the middle finger, cursed at her and told her he was off duty and could say anything he wanted, the lawsuit claims.

Clougherty and other firefighters referred to Levings as a "gorilla" openly and behind her back to poke fun at her weight, her attorneys say.

In January 2010, Clougherty attended a hearing at work to discuss Levings' complaint. During the taped hearing, Clougherty made comments about her size and buttocks, comparing her to a gorilla, the suit says.

Clougherty also joked that he was afraid of going to the zoo and watching female apes on television because they reminded him of Levings, the suit claims.

Tormented by the comments, Levings resorted to gastric bypass surgery in February 2010.

Four months later, Clougherty hired someone to dress in a gorilla suit and run through the fire station at a social event, the suit says. The event was videotaped, titled "Firehouse Gorilla" and posted on YouTube.

Levings says she was targeted to show others what might happen if they complained about abusive behavior.

"They were going to show everyone else what's going to happen if you make a complaint," she said. "They were trying to intimidate me so I would not complain anymore."

sbryan@tribune.com or 954-356-4554

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