A female firefighter in Richmond, British Columbia, is suing the city for doing nothing to stop the harassment she claims she suffered at the hands of her male colleagues.

Jeanette Moznik says the city of Richmond has allowed the fire service to foster a culture of systemic discrimination and harassment of its female firefighters.

In a 24-page writ filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Moznik alleges her male colleagues at Firehall Number One:

• Broke into her locker and sprayed chemicals inside.
• Filled a condom with an unidentified liquid and placed it in her locker.
• Wrote a gender-specific expletive on the outside of her locker.
• Openly displayed hardcore pornography around her at the firehall.
• Placed human feces into her boots and pants.
• Refused to turn on the water pressure to her hose and another female firefighter's while they were fighting a live fire.

Richmond Fire Chief Jim Hancock is one of nine current and former members of the department named in the lawsuit along with the city.

Moznik claims in the writ that Hancock was told about the harassment, and did nothing about it.

Hancock denied the allegations.

When asked by CTV Vancouver if he had witnessed any of the behaviour that Moznik alleged took place at the firehall, Hancock replied, "No I didn't."

"And she never came to you and complained about sexual harassment?" asked CTV. "No, never once," said Hancock, adding he was "surprised" by the lawsuit that came "out of the blue."

In fact, Hancock said when he became fire chief in 2000, he spearheaded a campaign on gender relations at the Richmond department.

"The union president and I are doing workplace talks in firehalls, bringing disclosure to all of these issues," he said. "As long as we're talking, it tends to ground the tension."

Hancock said he thought Moznik, who was part of the first group of female firefighters ever hired in Richmond in 1995, was happy at the department.

But he admitted that the male-dominated fire service could be a challenge for women to break into.

"Women coming into the fire service have had an adjustment to make, and the men have had an adjustment to make. I think that we have done as well as most, if not better."

None of those named in the suit have yet had the chance to file their side of the story in a statement of defence.

CTV Vancouver tried to reach Moznik, but she refused to comment, saying her statement of claim speaks for itself.

Moznik's allegations come less than a year after a similar high profile suit in the city of Burnaby.

Firefighter Boni Prokopetz filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, claiming she was sexually harassed and discriminated against.

After months in the media spotlight, Prokopetz and the city settled out of court.

Based on a report by CTV Vancouver's Keri Adams in Richmond, B.C.