'It was just always like walking on eggshells there,' she said of her job with Evergreen Fire Rescue.
A former female firefighter claims she was fired from her job for posting racy photos on Instagram, Yahoo Lifestyle reports. She has since filed a lawsuit, suing her former employer for wrongful termination and gender discrimination.
Presley Pritchard, 27, has over 100,000 followers on her Instagram account. She calls herself a “fitness influencer,” and in addition to posting inspirational messages and information about her partnerships with wellness brands, she also posts photos and videos of herself at the gym and in workout attire, as well as shots of herself at the beach, at the gun range, on the ski slopes, and just random snapshots of herself here and there.
She also posted photos of herself in her firefighting gear and using firefighting equipment.
Some of those photos, particularly beach shots and snaps of her in the gym, can be considered kind of racy.
Pritchard says that she tried to keep her Instagram presence separate from her job with Kalispell, Montana’s Evergreen Fire Rescue. However, despite her efforts, beginning in around 2018 it started becoming a problem for her, she alleges.
Specifically, she says that Jack Fallon, a member of the Evergreen Fire District Board, began “raising concerns” about her Instagram presence. From there, Pritchard claims in her lawsuit, she began repeatedly getting called in to her superiors’ offices.
“It was just ongoing — they would call me in for everything. It was just always like walking on eggshells there,” she said.
Presley PritchardAnyone else feel like 2020 been testing them lately or is that just me!? 🤨. 🤓2032 is gonna be my year. Just you wait.. - Jokes aside; If you want 2020 to be your year, Don’t sit on the couch and wait for it. Go out & make a change. Smile more. Be excited. Do new things. Unfollow negative people on social media. Post the swimsuit pic. Workout. Go to bed early. Wake up early. Show more gratitude. Ignore the haters. Practice self care. - Don’t settle for basic baby, Extraordinary is where it’s at. . . . . DM for coaching inquiries @cnc.apparel || code: presleykp @1upnutrition || code: presleykp @ninelineapparel || code: presleykp @herbstrong || code: presley15 @warriorflask || code: presleykp
She claims that she was reprimanded over 20 times for her photos on Instagram.
Presley PritchardNot gonna lie, kind of love and hate my girl @monicaagranda for showing me @bretcontreras1 new move for the glutes 🍑 This is the Landmine quadruped hip extension and I’m here for it 🙋🏻♀️ I tried these both elevated and on the ground and I think I prefer elevated to really target my glutes and finish off a 🔥 booty workout - Highly recommend adding these into one of your next lower body days cuz my 🍑 is sore today. Alsoooo I’m trying to clean up my music a little on public workout vids, y’all don’t need to hear what I got in my headphones 🎧😬. Happy almost-Friday! - Leggings @cnc.apparel || code: Presleykp
Additionally, she says that she was given men’s uniform pants, for reasons that remain unclear.
“Am I supposed to leave my butt at home?” she asked, per the Yahoo report.
Presley PritchardI have gotten comments on photos in uniform about how my butt looks and about the fact I’m wearing makeup on shift so I must be “incompetent at my job.” About how I care how my hair looks to be presentable when I’m taking care of someone’s dying family member.. I scroll through friend’s photos in uniform or holding guns and men automatically assume that they’re less than capable because they also like to dress up or have their nails done. - Since speaking up about this, I find that many of you women have similar stories. I’ve always been one to speak up about sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. Unfortunately, it is all too common in male-dominated fields. You’re not a victim for sharing your story. You are a survivor setting the world on fire with your truth. And you never know who needs your light, your warmth, and raging courage. I’m not afraid because I trust that God has worked through me and used my pain as a microphone to help others. - Sometimes people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power - not because they don’t see it, but because they see it and don’t want it to exist. - Remember, people who repeatedly attack your confidence and self-esteem are quite aware of your potential, even if you are not. . . . . . . . . . . DM for coaching inquiries @1upnutrition || code: presleykp @ninelineapparel || code: presleykp @herbstrong || code: presley15 @warriorflask || code: presleykp @freskincare || code: Presley #firefighters #firefighter #femalefirefighter #firechicks #strongwomen #blessed #doboth #bomberos #uniformedwomen #metoo #functionalfitness #thinredline #curvesncombatboots #speakup #womeninuniform #feminism
Meanwhile, she claims that some of her male colleagues also posted photos of themselves on social media, often shirtless, but that unlike her, they were not asked to remove their photos.
“It’s just really, really hypocritical. It just sucks, because you see firefighters out here with these sexy firefighter calendars, and if females did that, they would literally be like, beaten to death,” she says.
Presley PritchardThis @cnc.apparel Black Friday launch RED WHITE AND BLUE my mind 🤯 🇺🇸 see what I did there .. 😉 Still up to 70% off deals going on (code Presleykp saves you on all full price items) 🔔 Let’s ring in 2020 right with some new cute gym attire ♥️ . . . . . DM for coaching inquiries @1upnutrition || code: presleykp @ninelineapparel || code: presleykp @herbstrong || code: presley15 @warriorflask || code: presleykp @freskincare || code: Presley
She claims that she was ultimately fired for refusing her superiors’ directives to remove the photos, despite the fact that her department did not have a specific social media policy.
In her lawsuit, she claims that she was fired for “sexism and a double standard favoring men.”
Pritchard is not the first woman to learn the hard way that an Instagram presence that includes candid photos can work against her when it comes to employment. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, a Texas woman claimed that a potential employer denied her a job and publicly “slut-shamed” her for her photos on Instagram that showed her partying, drinking, and lounging around by the pool in her swimwear.
