Firefighter's suit against city settled out of court

FINDLAY — A civil suit filed against the city of Findlay by a former city firefighter, which claimed gender discrimination and workplace retaliation violations, has been settled out of court. Findlay Council agreed to pay the $14,000 settlement from the city's self-insurance fund in March. The complaints were filed with the Hancock County Common Pleas Court in January by Ethan Boes of Van Buren. Boes was employed as a Findlay firefighter in October 2018. In the complaint, Boes said he was forced to resign in July 2022, or be fired. In the settlement agreement, Findlay denied the validity of Boes' claims or any liability. Both parties agreed to the settlement as final and released any further claims. While employed with the city, the complaint stated Boes was mistreated and discriminated against by other firefighters because he was perceived to be a homosexual for not wanting to "watch shows that depicted pornographic imagery." In the court filing, Boes said he was "pushed into stereotypical feminine roles such as grocery shopping and doing laundry," and was denied the opportunity to train or join department teams. Boes complained to his captain in the fall of 2021 about the unequal treatment and discrimination, but the complaints were not investigated. Instead, Boes was told he was not being trained because he "was not confident in his own abilities," according to the court filing. In December 2021, Boes received a write-up for a door being left open on a fire truck during a call. He was not the only employee assigned to the truck, but he was the only employee disciplined, according to the lawsuit. In April 2022, Boes complained about the hostile work environment and discriminatory treatment to this battalion chief. He requested to be transferred to a different station and was transferred in May 2022. However, in the complaint, Boes said the transfer did not end the discrimination or hostile treatment. Boes was again written up for an open door on a call in July 2022, and was told to resign or be fired, according to the suit. Later, the city added allegations that Boes drove a firetruck through traffic lights without emergency lights. According to the filing, he resigned to avoid the termination appearing on his record, and because his working conditions were "so intolerable that a reasonable person in his shoes would have felt compelled to resign." Since his resignation, Boes said he believes the city has provided negative references to potential employers, according to the court filing. The complaint, with the demand for a jury trial, had sought in excess of $25,000 for lost wages, emotional distress and other damages on both claims, punitive damages in excess of $25,000, attorney's fees and costs. Boes was represented by Fred M. Bean with the Spitz Law Firm, LLC, Beachwood, which received $6,189 of the settlement in legal fees.