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 allegedly made a crude sexual comment to her. Some of her coworkers laughed, and she turned to one of them, asking, “Is this what I’m going to have to deal with?”

The response, according to court records, was, “Welcome to the fire service.”

Nearly 20 years later, Lewis-Bystrzycki has taken legal action, alleging that the department tolerates a toxic environment where firefighters regularly watch pornography, engage in gender discrimination, and retaliate against those who speak up.

There are only two full-time female firefighters in the department, and Lewis-Bystrzycki is one of them. She has been with the department since 1998, following in the footsteps of her father, grandfather, and several uncles, all of whom were firefighters.

“I grew up in a firehouse,” she said in an interview.

She first filed a lawsuit against the department in 2012 and recently added 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 scored highest and got the position. Lewis-Bystrzycki alleged she was ignored when she raised concerns, and that Pycz once smiled and said, “Let the best man win.”

Since his promotion, the suit says, Pycz has retaliated against Lewis-Bystrzycki by excluding her from meals, assigning her menial tasks, and giving her unfair disciplinary actions.

The city referred questions to its attorney, Daniel Boddicker, who said the fire chief had removed access to premium channels with nudity. He added that the department is continuing to investigate the allegations but declined to comment further, stating they expect to win the case.

Lewis-Bystrzycki's attorney, Dana Kurtz, called the case one of the most extreme she has seen. “You have people in charge who are doing nothing,” she said.

Court records show at least 45 incidents of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation against Lewis-Bystrzycki dating back to her first year on the job. The behavior has spanned nearly two decades.

In 1998, a firefighter threw a sex-related ring at her. In 1999, another broke into the bathroom while she was showering. In 2009, 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 with its hands over its mouth was found on top of her locker—interpreted as a message for her to “shut up.”

In 2013, a firefighter reportedly told her there was an “unwritten order” not to help her with anything. This incident, she said, was particularly upsetting, leaving her feeling “nerve-wracked, overwhelmed, and scared.”

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