Sacramento firefighter accused of ‘constant’ sexual harassment. He was suspended four days.
A City of Sacramento firefighter was disciplined with a four-day unpaid suspension for sexual harassment.
In June, someone submitted an anonymous complaint to the city auditor’s office stating Matthew Dutcher has been making racist statements against Black and Latino people in the department and had boasted about getting written up for it, according to an October disciplinary letter. Despite the initial write up, an unnamed fire marshal then assigned Dutcher, an acting supervisor, to oversee the very same people whom he had made comments about, the employee alleged.
Two months later, an unnamed fire department employee sent an email to an auditor’s office employee stating: “We are constantly being subjected to bullying, observing favoritism, inappropriate sexual comments, racist comments, being excluded, or ignored intentionally.”
In September, the city’s Equal Employment Opportunity office interviewed one of the female fire department employees who had submitted a complaint. The woman stated that on more than one occasion, while watching TV in the break room, Dutcher made comments about women’s bodies, including, “look at that rack,” and “if a girl’s stomach is bigger than her boobs, I won’t go for that.”
The woman also alleged that Dutcher said he wanted a female firefighter to work in his group because she is “fine” and wanted the city to hire a certain job candidate because she is “hot.”
Dutcher did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story. During an interview with city investigators, Dutcher denied all allegations other than telling one woman, whose name was redacted, that she is pretty.
The investigation found that there were multiple first-hand witnesses to Dutcher’s comments and determined he was in violation of the Civil Service Board rules, including discourteous treatment to other city employees, willful disobedience, and causing impairment, disruption or discredit to the city. He also violated the city’s Equal Opportunity Policy, which prohibits discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, the letter states.
Dutcher, who is a member of Local 522 firefighter union, did not appeal the discipline, city spokesman Tim Swanson said.
His 40-hour suspension took place Oct. 31 through Nov. 3.
The disciplinary letter, signed by city officials Oct. 16, was obtained by The Sacramento Bee from a California Public Records Act request.
Dutcher has been a city firefighter since 2014, and was promoted to “fire prevention officer II” in 2016, the letter stated.
He remains in the same position, Swanson said, with a base salary of $132,901.
Swanson did not answer whether Dutcher was still an acting supervisor.
“The city does not comment on individual personnel matters,” Swanson said.
