Complaints lodged over sexist SLO Chamber video

February 14, 2017

At least two complaints have been lodged against the City of San Luis Obispo after the fire chief and city manage participated in creating a video that sexually objectifies firefighters.

The video, shown at the annual SLO Chamber of Commerce dinner on Jan. 20, was created as a spoof to promote the chamber. In the video, female chamber employees ask fire Chief Garret Olson about a full monty calendars and hot, shirtless firefighters.

Both Olson and SLO City Manager Katie Lichtig are featured in the video.

On Monday, the firefighters’ union asked the city to mount an investigation into the sexual objectification of firefighters by city officials.

“Members of Local 3523 are disturbed, sad and embarrassed that the highest-ranking city officials blatantly demeaned their chosen profession and believed it appropriate to sexually objectify city firefighters both publically [sic] at the chamber’s annual dinner and to circulate the video on the internet,” according to the union.


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How much tax payer money and resources did they waste on this?


Your city officials hard at work.


The real question is for the City Council and whether they have the strength to take corrective action on their employee – the City Manager. Their actions will set the tone for the rest of the employees.


To all the indignant prudes in San Luis Obispo, get over it! Have we all lost our sense of humor?


This might be excused if the firefighters had made a spoof on themselves on their own time, but they didn’t. This is sexist (what if this video had been done for the Nurses in our community?) This was also done on work time meaning that the taxpayers of SLO paid the salaries of these city employees while making the video.


Since Lichtig is the manager of all the city employees involved and compelled the others to participate, she needs to resign. SLO would be much better off without her and her enormous salary. Has anyone calculated the amount of time she spent on this feeble attempt at humor?


I agree that this is about good humor, team building and a cut above emotional instability. These public servants have to do and see allot that is not funny so be glad they are still smiling. Now for other cityhood’s cash crops and dispensaries are ok because they put money in the local coffers. Our public servants will now have to deal with the consequences of that but the squeaky wheels are silent, why? Maybe they laugh too much as consumers and that’s ok.


Oh please do not break out the crying towel for the firemen. They are some of most highly paid individuals in local governments. If it’s too hot for them in the kitchen they can leave at anytime and go get a regular job. For everyone that would leave, believe me there would hundreds applying for their jobs.