Sexual harassment lawsuit against Country Club Hills

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

On Dena Lewis-Bystrzycki’s first day as a firefighter in Country Club Hills, the chief at the time reportedly leaned over and made a crude sexual comment to her. Some of her coworkers laughed, while she turned to one of them and asked, “Is this what I should expect?”

The engineer allegedly replied, “Welcome to the fire service,” according to recently filed court documents that outline the incident.

Nearly 20 years later, Lewis-Bystrzycki has taken legal action, alleging that firefighters regularly watch pornography at the station, that she faced gender discrimination during a promotion, and that she was retaliated against for speaking out about misconduct.

The lawsuit reveals that there are only two full-time female firefighters in the department, with Lewis-Bystrzycki, 40, being one of them. She grew up around firefighting, following in the footsteps of her father, grandfather, and several uncles.

“I was raised in a firehouse,” she said in an interview.

Lewis-Bystrzycki has been with the Country Club Hills Fire Department since 1998. She first filed a lawsuit in 2012 and recently submitted a supplemental complaint, claiming that lieutenants have admitted to knowing about the pornographic content being viewed at the stations.

The lawsuit also claims that many questions on the 2011 lieutenant promotion exam were written by the father of Carl Pycz, the male firefighter who received the job after scoring highest on the test. According to the suit, Lewis-Bystrzycki reported this issue but was ignored. At one point, Pycz allegedly approached her with a smile and said, “Let the best man win.”

Since his promotion, the lawsuit alleges, Pycz has retaliated against Lewis-Bystrzycki by excluding her from meals, assigning her menial tasks, and disciplining her unfairly.

The city referred questions to its attorney, Daniel Boddicker, who stated that the fire chief has “terminated access to premium movie channels” where nudity is shown. He added that the department is conducting further investigations into the pornography allegations.

Boddicker declined to comment on other matters but claimed the fire department is confident it will win the case.

Lewis-Bystrzycki’s attorney, Dana Kurtz, called the situation one of the most severe cases she has encountered. “You have people in command who are doing nothing,” she said.

Court records filed earlier this month detail at least 45 instances of sexual harassment, discrimination, or retaliation against Lewis-Bystrzycki, dating back to the start of her career. The alleged misconduct spans nearly two decades.

In 1998, shortly after starting her job, a firefighter threw a sex toy at her. In 1999, another firefighter broke into the bathroom while she was showering, according to the complaint.

In 2009, multiple incidents occurred where male firefighters climbed into her bunk and told her to “cuddle with me.” In 2012, someone placed a sexually suggestive sticker on her locker. That same year, a ceramic doll was found on top of her locker with its hands covering its mouth, implying she should “shut her mouth.”

In 2013, a firefighter reportedly told her that there was an “unwritten order” not to assist her with anything. This particular incident left her feeling deeply disturbed. Fighting the case has left her “nerve-wracked, overwhelmed, and scared,” she said.

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