ISSUES: San Diego Firefighters Harassment Judgement Upheld

Remember this case where several San Diego firefighters sued their city for forcing them to participate in in a gay pride parade in 2007 in which they claim they suffered sexual harassment? The firefighters testified that after the parade, they experienced "headaches, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome and other stress-related symptoms." A jury found in their favor last year. Now an appellate court has upheld that judgement.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports: Joseph Infranco, co-counsel in the firefighters’ case, said he hopes the ruling “will end the city’s attempts to defend its act of compelling people to participate in sexually charged events against their moral and personal convictions.”

The individual firefighters were awarded damages ranging from $5,000 to $14,200. The trial court also awarded attorney fees to the firefighters in the amount of $532,980 and costs in the amount of $61,383. Those fees and costs, plus 7 percent interest, must be paid, according to the appellate ruling. In addition, fees for fighting the appeal will also be assessed in an amount to be determined later.

This was the second time the firefighters went to trial on the sexual harassment claim. A jury deadlocked in October of 2009. In that trial, the jury was asked to award each firefighter up to $1 million. LiMandri didn’t request a specific figure in this trial.

According to th San Diego Union-Tribune, "a spokeswoman for the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, said the city has not yet decided whether to take the case to a higher court."