Ettner v. City of Medford

Plaintiff brought this unlawful employment practice claim against the City of Medford, alleging that the city unlawfully discharged her as a firefighter on the bases of gender and of perceived impairment. In a single proceeding, a jury found for the city on the perceived impairment claim, and the court found for plaintiff on the sex discrimination claim. The city appeals, and we affirm.

When the City of Medford hired Dave Bierwiler to be its fire chief in 1989, the Medford Fire Department employed no female firefighters, and one of Chief Bierwiler’s goals was to change that situation.…