Gender, age discrimination alleged against Jefferson-Como fire department
A woman who has spent years volunteering for the Jefferson-Como Fire Protection District now claims age and gender discrimination prevented her from being hired full-time in a new Federal case filed Monday.
Cynthia Winner spent years as a volunteer search and rescuer in Park County with a goal of becoming a full-time firefighter. After four years with the Park County Search and Rescue, she spent eight years volunteering with the Jefferson-Como Fire Protection District. In those eight years, the lawsuit says Winner logged 820 training hours, 175 call responses, multiple certifications, and passed every physical test she took.
The lawsuit says Winner saw multiple paid positions given to male volunteers without any formal application process but was not offered the same opportunities.
Finally, in 2015, Winner submitted a letter to department management expressing her desire to apply for a full-time position. Six years later, JCFPD posted three firefighter positions and developed a formal application process that Winner used.
The suit claims that instead of reviewing her qualifications, the department hired the 21-year-old son of the Chief, who had a long criminal record and did not hold a valid driver's license. Both violate the department's job requirements. Three months later, Winner claims JCPFD raised the minimum qualification standard and placed her on inactive status.
In the suit, Winner claims she was called several derogatory names, such as "token girl," "liability," "joke," and "the black sheep," and says she was told repeatedly by a Lieutenant that "women have no business being in the fire service."
Winner named the department, Fire Chief Trent Smith, and Deputy Chief Steven Bargas in the lawsuit.
CBS News Colorado has reached out to the representatives of the department for comment in this case but has not yet heard back.
