Fire chief hit with second civil suit

The Pioneer Press reports:

A second member of the Minneapolis Fire Department has accused embattled fire Chief Bonnie Bleskachek of employment discrimination.

Fire Capt. Kathleen Mullen filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court against Bleskachek, the department and the city of Minneapolis, alleging that the chief thwarted her career advancement, violating state and federal laws.

Mullen accuses Bleskachek of throwing out test scores that were to be used for hiring new battalion chiefs. Mullen said she was the top scorer and alleges Bleskachek tossed out the scores because the chief's current girlfriend, who also is a fire captain, failed the test. In the suit, Mullen said she dated the chief's girlfriend for a year starting in 1999.

According to the suit, 13 people took the fire battalion test. Mullen said she studied for more than a year in anticipation of the exam.

You can bet the New York Times doesn't want to put this one on the frontpage.