Skip to main content

City Council Oks $11.25m Settlement for Female Paramedics

City Council Oks $11.25m Settlement for Female Paramedics

City Council Oks $11.25m Settlement for Female Paramedics

Introduction

Two women’s career aspirations with the Chicago Fire Department turned into a legal and financial battle after they faced discriminatory practices during a physical agility test at the fire academy.

Hired as paramedics, the women were subjected to a test designed to disproportionately disadvantage women, resulting in their dismissal from the academy.

The City Council has approved an $11.25 million settlement to compensate these women and ten others who were similarly affected. The test's demanding nature and its lack of relevance to paramedic duties led to severe physical injuries for four of the plaintiffs, with some suffering “career-ending” hip and back injuries. One plaintiff sustained a torn hip, according to their attorney.

The controversial test required candidates to hold 25-pound dumbbells in each hand while stepping on and off an 18-inch-high box for two minutes, timed to a 112-beats-per-minute metronome. This rigorous requirement was criticized as excessive and unrelated to actual paramedic tasks.

As part of the settlement, five of the women were reinstated as paramedics by the department, which is now led by Chicago’s first female fire commissioner. These women received settlements ranging from $200,000 to $400,000, including retroactive seniority and pensions.

The remaining six women, who are unable to return to their jobs, will receive between $475,000 and $1.3 million. Legal fees for this case total $4.25 million. One of the plaintiffs expressed relief but remained skeptical about lasting change, suggesting that further lawsuits may arise if discriminatory practices persist.

In addition to this settlement, the City Council approved several other settlements. These include $2.5 million for the estate of a man killed by a stolen car driver fleeing from police in April 2019, and $410,000 for the family of a man who was wrongfully arrested and beaten by a Chicago police officer in 2019, with the officer subsequently fired.

A $7.6 million settlement for a man wrongfully convicted of murder, whose conviction was overturned after a key witness admitted to false testimony, was rejected by the Finance Committee and may proceed to trial.

Comments

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

Latest Personal Injury News

$6.1M Settlement Reached in Youngstown Blast Lawsuit

Categories: Settlements

The family of a 27-year-old man from Penn Hills, who tragically died in an explosion in Youngstown, Ohio, has secured a settlement exceeding $6.1 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.

The explosion occurred last year when an office building…

NH Settles for $2.25M with the Murdered Kid's Mother

Categories: Settlements

The state of New Hampshire has agreed to a $2.25 million settlement with the mother of a 5-year-old girl who was murdered by her father over five years ago.

The child’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit in September 2024 against both…

Boeing, DOJ Settle to Avoid 737 Max Crash Prosecution

Categories: Settlements

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached a new agreement with Boeing that would allow the aerospace giant to avoid criminal prosecution related to two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft.

The crashes, which occurred in…

✍️ FREE—3000 Pages Medical Record Review Trial!                
No Contract. No Risk—Fully Customized, Free!

Only 10 Firms Accepted—Offer Ends June 30!