MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - Bonnie Bleskachek knows what discrimination feels like.After she joined the Minneapolis Fire Department years ago, male firefighters would leave the room whenever she walked in, a union official hurled an anti-gay slur at her because she is a lesbian, and a male co-worker hit her in the head with a soda can, according to her lawyer.
Bleskachek endured, becoming the city's first female fire chief and the only openly gay fire chief of a major U.S. city.
But now, two years after ascending to the top job, Bleskachek is the one who stands accused of harassing women.
The 43-year-old chief is on leave as the city conducts an internal investigation amid lawsuits from three female firefighters. Also, a city investigation found evidence that the department gave preferential treatment to lesbians or those who socialize with them.
Bleskachek declined to be interviewed. Her attorney, Jerry Burg, disputed the allegations.
The lawsuits paint a picture of a woman who let her love life influence her personnel decisions in this city of about 390,000.
In one lawsuit, firefighter Kristina Lemon claims Bleskachek pursued a sexual relationship with her and that when Lemon rebuffed her Bleskachek denied her training and advancement opportunities.
The two other lawsuits center on a test for promotion to battalion chief that was suspended and eventually canceled.
from The Houston Chronicle
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