Female Lifeguard Alleges Harassment, Case Finally Settled

Some people who read our blog might remember the show “Baywatch” that starred Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff. That show made the life of a lifeguard in California look almost magical. It seems as though the lifeguards were always having fun and living a glamorous life. That, however, is far from reality, especially if you consider the case that was recently settled regarding a female lifeguard.

The lawsuit alleged that a female lifeguard was subjected to a hostile work environment and sexual harassment during her time with the lifeguard division of the Fire Department. The woman alleges that the sexual harassment began long before she joined the division when she was 19. She claims that a supervisor with the division tried to get her to leave school with him when she was only 14.

Fast forward to her time as a lifeguard. She claims that once she joined the lifeguard division at 19, that same supervisor made sexually inappropriate comments and looked at her in an inappropriate manner. She claims the man also resented her for wanting to become a supervisor because he didn’t like seeing females in supervisor positions.

She also alleges that the man caused her to suffer injuries after making her ride on a rescue sled attached to his own personal watercraft. That led to him trying to get her to lie about what happened. When she didn’t lie and brought up the harassing behavior, she says that the supervisor and others in the division tried to scare her into not working or not speaking of the incidents.

The harassment this woman went through was horrible. Nobody who is trying to earn a living should have to deal with that type of behavior. If you have had to deal with similar situations, you have the option to explore ways to make the harassment stop.

Source: Eagle Rock Patch, “Sexual Harassment, Retaliation Lawsuit by Female Lifeguard Settled,” Mirna Alfonso, June 29, 2015