A former firefighter has filed suit in federal court against the City of Fishers and the Fishers Fire Department alleging race, sex, and disability discrimination, as well as retaliation. The case was filed on September 24, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana by Lauren Gray, who joined the department in June 2022 as its first African American female firefighter

Gray contends she met or exceeded performance expectations and received positive evaluations. According to the complaint, her employment quickly became marred by discriminatory treatment and harassment.

Gray alleges that she was told not to attend her graduation ceremony, and that despite passing her EMT exam, she was initially not permitted to go on shift, while male counterparts who had not completed training requirements were allowed to do so.

She claims she was subjected to sexual harassment from coworkers, including one who told her he wanted to “make brown babies” with her and later grabbed her. She reported the conduct to human resources in June 2023, and while the department found her complaints credible, she alleges little action was taken, and the harassment continued.

Gray also accuses department leadership of undermining her, subjecting her to heightened scrutiny, and manufacturing performance issues. On August 3, 2023, she was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation as a condition of continued employment and placed on probation—requirements she says were not imposed on similarly situated white male firefighters.

She further alleges that the former fire chief made inappropriate physical contact with her at a restaurant and objected to her participation in news interviews about being the first African American woman hired by the department. Shortly after those interviews, her photograph was removed from the department’s website and replaced with a photo of the coworker she had accused of harassment.

The complaint details a series of disciplinary actions, including suspensions for minor or disputed issues, which Gray claims were applied more harshly to her than to white male firefighters. Quoting from the complaint:

• On or about September 5, 2024, Defendants suspended Gray for 24 hours without pay for allegedly failing to clock in on time by merely a few minutes. Other non-African American male coworkers… would clock in much later or not at all, yet they were not disciplined to the same degree.
• On or about November 16, 2023, Defendants switched Gray to a light duty administrative role that caused her to lose 6 hours of her accrued paid time off. Similarly situated males… were switched to light duty firefighter role, but did not forfeit any paid time off. Gray complained about the unfair treatment, but Defendants provided no remedy.
• On or about December 14, 2023, Defendants scheduled Gray for a shift even though she already requested and was granted the day off. Defendants did not require non-African American male firefighters to work on days they were previously granted off.
• On or about December 15, 2023, Defendants wrote Gray up for not reporting to work on the 14th and suspended her without pay. Defendants did not discipline non-African American male firefighters who had taken time approved time off of work.
• After complaining about a hostile work environment based on race and sex, Gray continued to experience harassment.

In May 2024, a coworker allegedly kissed her on the cheek without her consent. Gray filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC in June 2024. She contends that afterward she faced retaliation and was subjected to multiple psychiatric evaluations. She was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD, conditions that her complaint attributes to the department’s conduct.

Gray alleges she was ultimately deemed unfit for duty by her physician as a result of the hostile environment, placed on extended leave, and terminated on May 9, 2025.

The lawsuit asserts race and gender claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, including retaliation. Gray seeks reinstatement or front pay, lost wages, compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees, and other relief. Here is a copy of the complaint.