A former Wyoming firefighter is suing Plympton-Wyoming for $120,000 because “moral damages” for the “bad faith” actions of the municipality when she was fired.
Carrie Ann Wilson was at the center of a controversy which bubbled over at the Wyoming fire hall in Feb. 2020 when four senior firefighters were fired by then Fire Chief Steve Clemens.
Clemens’ tenure had been controversial. According to Wilson’s statement of claim filed in late July, Clemens was creating conflict in Wyoming by moving fire memorabilia out of the fire hall, reducing training and reducing the debriefing sessions held after major incidents.
In 2017, Wilson found a computer which had been set up to record firefighters in the station. An investigation launched by the town’s lawyer said the move was an accident.
Then, Wilson’s claim says, the chief didn’t investigate two incidents of harassment.

The first was at a debris fire at a home in August, where a senior officer arrived on the scene and began yelling at Wilson, the claim says.

Wilson says she tried to calm him but he “shouldered his way” past her. Wilson told several firefighters about the incident but didn’t report it “out of fear of reprisal.”

Then in September, Wilson was on a pumper truck which crashed in a farmers field as it responded to a car fire. Wilson- a lieutenant and the senior officer at the scene – made sure everyone got out and was okay.
Moments after, the same senior officer who held the same rank arrived and started to berate Wilson.

She described the confrontation in an interview in June 2020.

“We were both face-to-face by that point. He was then yelling about the truck that was on fire and why we weren’t putting that out. I explained that it was just going to burn out.

“He yelled at me about who was IC and who was in charge of this. And I screamed, I was very agitated at that point, and yelled that it was my call. I was in charge. I was IC and I was leaving it to burn.

“And it was at that point that other firefighters stepped in to physically pull him back. And I left the situation.”

Wilson’s claim said he had to be “physically restrained” by other firefighters.
The verbal assault caused Wilson “to be afraid for her safety” and triggered a panic attack which was treated at hospital along with minor injuries from the crash.

Wilson told Clemens about the incident at the hospital, and said he would investigate – according to the court document – and several days later Clemens told her the officer would not be attending fire activities for a time.

In December, at an officers meeting, Clemens announced the man’s return. One of the firefighters said he hoped the senior officer would “quit hitting women” on his return.

The chief launched an investigation of the comment saying it could be defamatory. That lead to an investigation of the shoving incident in August.
Throughout the investigation, Wilson’s claim says the lawyer hired to investigate questioned all of the firefighters involved about their loyalty to former fire chief Mike Vasey.

On Feb. 11, Clemens called Wilson to the fire hall to talk about the reports conclusions. By then, the document says, she knew one firefighter had already been fired. She brought another firefighter with her as support, but he was forced to leave the meeting. Wilson wanted to record the meeting with Clemens and the lawyer but that wasn’t permitted.

Wilson’s claim says she was fired, but given the option to resign within two days if she signed off on a package which gave her four-week’s pay in lieu of notice and severance pay. Volunteer firefighters in Plympton-Wyoming made $5,000 a year at the time.

Wilson says she felt pressured to accept the deal on the spot.

The next day, The Independent broke the news of the firefighters being fired and four others being reprimanded. Clemens confirmed to The Independent three veteran firefighters, Wilson – a lieutenant, Sr. Firefighter Jason Lyon and District Chief Jeff Scott were dismissed after two investigations into what at the time he called workplace health and safety issues.

The dismissals ignited anger within the department and community.

Four firefighters resigned and retired immediately after the dismissals.
In all, 16 firefighters left the Wyoming station – at least eight because of the incident. There were also public protests.

In the damages lawsuit, Wilson says her family – including a long line of firefighters – heard of her dismissal through the media.

Wilson’s claim says the way the town carried out the termination “unnecessarily, unreasonably and foreseeably cause Wilson mental distress” including damaging her reputation, caused sleep disruption, PTSD and a major depressive disorder and added the acts were “malicious, high handed, callous and oppressive.”

The town has 20 business days to say whether it would defend itself.

CAO Carolyn Tripp said she could not comment at all on the lawsuit.

Since the incident both Scott and Lyons, who were fired with Wilson, ended legal proceedings against the town and a brief news release which thanked each of them for their long-time service to the community.