Tawney worked as a forest firefighter for the Province of Ontario and was a member of...

 

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Tawney worked as a forest firefighter for the Province of Ontario and was a member of the Initial Attack Forest Firefighting crew for a small area in the forests of Northern Ontario. The crew's job was to attack and suppress forest fires while they were small and could be easily contained. Her supervisors found her work satisfactory and had no reason to question her continuing ability to do the work safely and effectively. After she had been successfully doing this job for three years, the government adopted a new series of fitness tests for forest firefighters. The tests were developed in response to a Coroner's Inquest Report that recommended that only physically fit employees be assigned as front-line forest firefighters for safety reasons. The tests required that forest firefighters weigh less than 200 lbs. (with their equipment) and complete a run, an upright rowing exercise, and a pump carrying/hose dragging exercise within stipulated times. The running test was designed to test the forest firefighters' aerobic fitness. Subjects were required to run 2.5 kilometres in 11 minutes. After four attempts, Tawney failed to meet the aerobic standard, running the distance in 11 minutes and 49.4 seconds instead of the required 11 minutes. As a result, she was laid off. Stating that the test unfairly discriminated against women, Tawney made a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal. Questions: 1. Do you think it is acceptable to have different standards for male and female firefighters? Tawney worked as a forest firefighter for the Province of Ontario and was a member of the Initial Attack Forest Firefighting crew for a small area in the forests of Northern Ontario. The crew's job was to attack and suppress forest fires while they were small and could be easily contained. Her supervisors found her work satisfactory and had no reason to question her continuing ability to do the work safely and effectively. After she had been successfully doing this job for three years, the government adopted a new series of fitness tests for forest firefighters. The tests were developed in response to a Coroner's Inquest Report that recommended that only physically fit employees be assigned as front-line forest firefighters for safety reasons. The tests required that forest firefighters weigh less than 200 lbs. (with their equipment) and complete a run, an upright rowing exercise, and a pump carrying/hose dragging exercise within stipulated times. The running test was designed to test the forest firefighters' aerobic fitness. Subjects were required to run 2.5 kilometres in 11 minutes. After four attempts, Tawney failed to meet the aerobic standard, running the distance in 11 minutes and 49.4 seconds instead of the required 11 minutes. As a result, she was laid off. Stating that the test unfairly discriminated against women, Tawney made a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal. Questions: 1. Do you think it is acceptable to have different standards for male and female firefighters?

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