Columbia Settles Lawsuit With Former Firefighter Accusing Him of Sexual Assault and Workplace Harassment

A former Columbia firefighter who sued the city alleging he was sexually abused and harassed at work received $175,000 to resolve the dispute, according to the settlement agreement.

The state obtained the settlement agreement through a Freedom of Information request.

The firefighter resigned from the Columbia Fire Department in 2021 after enduring months of sexually motivated pranks and harassment from other firefighters at Station 8 on Atlas Road, according to the 2021 lawsuit. An internal fire department investigation confirmed the station had an “oversexual culture.”

The firefighter’s suit said he was held on his bed while other firefighters tried to remove his clothing, was cornered in the shower and was repeatedly verbally abused for showing his genitals.

The agreement between the firefighter and the city was signed on September 16th. The state is not using the firefighter’s name because he is an alleged sexual assault victim.

“On behalf of my client and I personally and professionally, we would like to thank the City of Columbia for handling this matter professionally and emotionally sensitively,” wrote attorney Jason Reynolds, who was one of the attorneys representing the city firefighter in the suit.

Reynolds thanked Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins and other fire department leaders as well as the mayor and city council, writing, “I hope that both the city and my client can emerge from this situation better by surviving the experience and taking pride in their jobs.” “Well done on resolving this matter appropriately.”

Local attorney Ryan Hicks also represented the firefighter in the case.

The activities at Station 8 came to light after the firefighter left his job in April 2021. He reportedly later wrote in a text that he “couldn’t take the sexual crap anymore,” according to media reports at the time.

“Talking is one thing,” the firefighter is said to have written. “But it’s a completely different thing to yank someone out of bed and try to rip off their shorts and other things. … I can’t stand another dinner/night of this.”

An internal fire department investigation in 2021 found that there was a “significant leadership failure on the first shift at Station 8 that fostered an oversexual culture filled with unacceptable conversations, pranks that went well beyond the bounds of professional behavior, and offensive touching.” .”

Following this internal investigation, five people were ultimately fired from the fire department in 2021, including a battalion chief and two captains. The investigation also revealed that several other firefighters also requested a transfer to another station due to the culture at Station 8.

A city spokesman declined to comment, saying the city typically does not comment on legal settlements.