City ordered to pay $34,300 to Firemen forced to attend the "gay pride parade" by Fire Chief Tracy Jarman
-- From "Jury awards $34,300 to firefighters over parade" by Tony Manolatos and Angelica Martinez, Union-Tribune Staff Writers 2/18/09
A jury of eight women and four men deliberated for 2½ days and found that the firefighters, who were ordered to ride a fire engine in the 2007 gay pride parade, were sexually harassed by some participants and spectators.
Jurors awarded a total of $34,300 to John Ghiotto, Jason Hewitt, Alex Kane and Chad Allison.
Allison said this was never about money.
The parade experience left the firefighters with headaches, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome and other stress-related symptoms, they said. They also testified that they were subjected to catcalls and saw barely clothed men simulate sex acts along the route on University Avenue in Hillcrest, which is home to a large gay population.
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