Ongoing Legal Battles

Dallas to pay former Fire-Rescue executive $390,000 to settle sexual harassment lawsuit

After four years of legal maneuvering, the City of Dallas is prepared to reach a settlement with a former Dallas Fire-Rescue executive. Leanne Siri sued the city and a host of officials in 2009, citing sexual harassment, discrimination and a hostile work environment.

Siri was subsequently fired for "poor work performance," and city manager Mary Suhm, fire chief Eddie Burns and other officials were all eventually dropped from the suit.

An accomplished professional, Siri was not going down without a fight. Her lawsuit aired the Dallas-Fire Rescue's dirty laundry and exposed "a culture of woman-hating."

Siri said males employees emailed her lewd photos and regularly referred to themselves as "pimps." Her lawsuit detailed the dissemination of several graphic photos, including one of "a woman completely naked with her legs spread," which was displayed during an employee presentation.

"Pervasive, severe, outrageous and obscene acts of discrimination, hostility, disrespect and harassment by [Dallas Fire-Rescue] leaders have slowly dismantled [Siri's] reputation and her spirit," the original petition reads.

The city denied each and every one Siri's claims in a 2010 filing, claiming that the city "exercised reasonable care to prevent an correct promptly any sexually harassing and/or discriminatory behavior."

Apparently, the city has changed its tune and is now willing to pay Siri up to $390,000 for her troubles. The settlement is recommended for approval by the City Council during its May 15 briefing.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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