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fighter/Medic in 1995. Hux was later promoted to "Senior" status
even though she did not have the five years of experience that was
typically a prerequisite.
In 1999, Hux applied for a Fire Lieutenant position. Anticipating
that she would not receive the promotion, she filed a discrimination
charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC). As it turned out, Hux was awarded the promotion, and she
withdrew her EEOC charge. She was the first woman in the Depart-
ment appointed to a fire officer position. Unfortunately, however,
major surgery required Hux to take almost 2000 hours of sick leave
during the period between her promotion and September 2003. While
the Department permitted her this leave, being so often away from
work naturally limited her amount of experience as a Fire Lieutenant.
Hux’s tenure as Fire Lieutenant was characterized by continuous
friction with her subordinates and fellow officers. In October 2001,
for example, ten male and female subordinates at Hux’s fire station
wrote a joint letter to Hux’s superiors, complaining that Hux fostered
"antagonistic work conditions" and exemplified "autocratic manage-
ment." According to the letter, Hux "single[d] out subordinates, on an
ongoing basis, to humiliate and frustrate them," and was "intention-
ally defiant and openly critical" of their Captain. For her part, Hux
contends that her Fire Captain was generally unsupportive, and that
her subordinates were rude and unwilling to follow her orders because
she was a female.
On October 11, 2001, the Department transferred Hux to a different
fire station, but the discord followed her to the new location. While
Hux suggests things improved, her new Captain informed Fire Chief
Jones that Hux’s interpersonal interactions were not of "the proper
tone to foster . . . unit cohesiveness." In 2003, Hux received a stan-
dard pay increase, but a Battalion Chief noted on her employment
evaluation that he had spoken with her about her negative attitude and
had asked her to improve. Hux contends that this same Battalion
Chief was disrespectful to her and made it difficult for her to do her
job.
Hux’s problems were not, however, related solely to personality
differences, as the record reveals numerous instances of unprofes-
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