FDNY Hit with Sex Bias Lawsuit

Lawyers for five female Emergency Medical Services workers announced a suit filed against Mayor Bloomberg and the FDNY for workplace discrimination. The women say there is an unspoken policy in the department to block the promotion of women into senior ranks. Among 2,500 employees of the city’s EMS, a division of the FDNY, only about 20 women hold the senior ranks of chief and captain, said lawyer Yetta Kurland. Department heads disregard women’s talent and experience, said plaintiff Mary Dandridge. “It’s extremely hurtful,” said Dandridge, an EMS lieutenant and 21-year veteran of the department. ”I feel like I’m wasting my time on the job.”—Mike McPhate