Third suit filed against Marengo Rescue Squad
By AMBER KROSEL - akrosel@nwherald.com
MARENGO – A third individual has filed a complaint in a federal sex discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Marengo Rescue Squad District.
Marge Strohfus, a former paramedic, is suing the district and Chief Barry Beckwith, claiming that male employees were treated more favorably than female employees continually throughout 2007 and 2008. The lawsuit also alleges that female employees were referred to as “broads” or “[expletive] broads,” among other allegations.
Two other similar complaints were filed in mid-May by former paramedic Dawn Reid and former Deputy Chief Todd Jones. Strohfus’ was filed about a month later.
Jay K. Filler Jr., an attorney who represents the district, wrote in a statement in May that the lawsuits against the rescue squad would be “vigorously defended.”
“The Marengo Rescue Squad District has a standing policy of investigating any claims of improper conduct,” Filler said. “Each of the claims ... was investigated, and in each instance the investigation concluded that the claim was unfounded.”
The complaints, filed in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois’ Western Division, seek compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $5 million each.
Reid was suspended and fired from her job in January 2008 without any formal reason, according to the lawsuit. Strohfus also was suspended and fired in May 2008.
Meanwhile, Jones is suing the district for allegedly being demoted after he complained about the discrimination in early 2008. According to the lawsuit, a demotion to the position of emergency medical technician was ordered after Beckwith had found out that Jones consulted with a lawyer about filing a claim for retaliation.
Jones then was “continually berated, demeaned and harassed” until he was forced to take a voluntary leave of absence and discharged in June 2008, the lawsuit said.
Reid began working as a Marengo Rescue Squad paramedic in September 2006, while Strohfus had been a district employee for several years. Beckwith was hired as chief in May 2007.
Beckwith was suspended with pay in March, pending an investigation by the Rescue Squad District’s board of trustees. He was reinstated six days later.
Executive session minutes detailing those personnel matters have not been released to the public.
Strohfus, Reid and Jones will next appear in federal court in Rockford at 1:30 p.m. July 29.
