By Nathan Clark
mlive.com
JACKSON, Mich. – A gender discrimination lawsuit filed by Jackson’s first female firefighter has ended in a settlement with the city.
Former Jackson firefighter Annie Wallen accepted an $85,000 agreement on Nov. 20, ending her discrimination lawsuit filed a year ago in U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, according to the agreement obtained by MLive through a Freedom of Information Act request.
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Wallen signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of the settlement, barring her from speaking about the case.
“We are pleased that the matter has been resolved,” Wallen’s attorney Crystal Bultje said. “Annie greatly appreciated the support she received from so many people during this process, and she’s grateful to be able to put this behind her.”
Additionally, Wallen agreed to never seek employment from the city of Jackson in the future, according to the settlement agreement.
Wallen put in her resignation notice Nov. 18, 2022, after the complaints she raised were characterized as struggles she faced due to her mental health problems, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed Nov. 21, 2024, contended the city and her supervisors failed to adequately equip her with safety gear or provide accommodations for a woman in the firehouse and did nothing to stop harassment from her coworkers.
There were stashes of pornography in the dorm, the men slept in various states of undress, there were penis-measuring contests in the showers and, in one incident, a firefighter arranged the department’s resuscitation dummies in a way that looked like they were having sex, the lawsuit stated.
“The frat-boy like atmosphere, which defendants permitted to exist, made it impossible for Wallen, or any other woman, to ever feel comfortable and accepted at the department,” the lawsuit stated.
In the lawsuit, Wallen said the fire department failed to provide her with standard and fitted firefighting gear in women’s sizes despite knowing for months of her hiring.
Wallen was hired into the department in 2019 using money from a federal grant, which expired a year later. She was laid off after the grant ended but returned full time in 2021. She contended the department did not want to waste time or money buying gear specific to fit her unless or until she was able to prove her abilities and the department hired her on permanently, according to the lawsuit.
In a prior interview with MLive/The Jackson Citizen Patriot Wallen said she felt welcomed by her fellow firefighters.
“The guys on my shift knew and they took me in, and they’ve been nothing but big brothers,” Wallen said. “I’ve had no issues with the guys. All the guys have been very accepting and then some. They’ve been nothing but good to me.”
Wallen wanted to fit in, according to the lawsuit. “She wanted her colleagues to be like her brothers, and sometimes she reported it as such because she so desperately wanted it to be true. And with a handful of them, it was,” the lawsuit states.
“A handful of respectful, inclusive, mature firefighters who treated her like an equal wasn’t enough to overcome the consistent, perpetual discrimination and harassment she received from the rest — including leadership,” the lawsuit stated.
In October 2022, Wallen followed the chain of command to report incidents of harassment and discrimination, but nothing changed, according to the lawsuit.
She resigned a month later.
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