ATLANTA — A former City of Atlanta Fire Department recruit says she was the target of sexual harassment.
Attorney James McCabe told Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln that his client Amber Ellison endured inappropriate sexual comments from her fire instructor.
“She was gritting her teeth and trying to make it through,” McCabe said.
The lawsuit alleges long-time City of Atlanta instructor, William Jucks allegedly made several unwarranted advances towards Ellison.
“She thought to herself, I can just get through this training process, it’ll be done and I’ll become a firefighter,” McCabe said.
In her complaint, Ellison states the harassment started shortly after Jucks was assigned to instruct her class in February 2024. She was one of five female recruits, in her class of 21 new recruits.
McCabe explains in the lawsuit, that Jucks’ sexual stalking quickly led to targeted solicitations.
The lawsuit alleges multiple instances of inappropriate sexually charged touching, inappropriate sexual comments, and solicitations to her during work hours and through calls before work in which Ellison claims he asked what she was wearing.
McCabe told Channel 2 Action News in an interview, that emotions came to a boiling point when Ellison said he put three of his fingers in his mouth and groaned while looking at Ms. Ellison and allegedly said in front of the whole class, “I wanna put icing all over you.”
TRENDING STORIES:
- Student accused of attacking teacher inside classroom at metro Atlanta high school
- Marietta student ‘scholar, athlete, and community leader’ killed in car wreck, district says
- These GA barbecue joints among Top 50 best in the South, ‘Southern Living’ says
The lawsuit states Ellison first complained internally at the Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department, where they claim she was scorned and disciplined. She then escalated her complaint to the City’s human resources department, where she says she was similarly scolded for rocking the boat.
“The human resources person told us she was just being emotional,” McCabe said.
McCabe said Ellison suffered a panic attack after what she describes as a demeaning encounter with Jucks.
The lawsuit states the attack was so severe, that she went to a doctor who later diagnosed her with anxiety disorder.
McCabe said Ellison’s doctor recommended she be out of work for two weeks.
Her attorney said she made repeated attempts to secure leave under the Family Medical Leave Act and Ellison claims she was repeatedly blocked by the city’s HR department.
Court documents state Ellison then made a request for an additional six weeks of leave.
McCabe told Channel 2 Action News that the city never responded to this request and instead terminated her shortly after.
Lincoln reached out to the city of Atlanta for a response to this story. They told her in a statement they cannot comment on pending litigation.
Lincoln went by Jucks’ Southwest Atlanta home in an attempt to get a statement, but no one came to the door.
Online court records show the city of Atlanta has not yet responded to this lawsuit.
“Hopefully her story bringing this out creates some change within the fire department,” McCabe said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
©2023 Cox Media Group
