Shari Hall, one of two finalists whom the County Commission considered last year to be chief of Marion County Fire Rescue, is suing the county and alleging that it engaged in gender discrimination by choosing the male finalist, Paul Nevels.
Before filing suit in circuit court earlier this month Hall lodged discrimination complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Florida Commission on Human Relations. The EEOC failed to make a determination as to a reasonable cause in her case within a 180-day window, according to the lawsuit, which left Hall free to pursue her case in court.
She is demanding a jury trial as well as more than $15,000 in damages.
Hall's argument is that, in September 2015, the county chose the clearly less qualified candidate in Nevels. She points out in her complaint that she outscored Nevels in the first round of interviews, for example, when interviewers gave her high marks in carrying out a leadership project, ideas on how to prepare the agency's budget and priorities for the agency. She also details her education- and experience-related qualifications, painting a stark contrast between her handle on emergency medical services and Nevels'.