Former firefighter Tanja Vidovic should be reinstated to Tampa Fire Rescue, a U.S. District Court judge ruled Wednesday, nearly two years after she filed a federal lawsuit against the city and was fired the next day.
She won her discrimination and retaliation case against the city on Dec. 7, when a jury awarded her $245,000 in damages. Now the city has 60 days to bring Vidovic, 36, back to work as a firefighter, according to the seven-page order from Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich.
"I’m happy to go back to work and I’m excited to be back serving the public at a job that I love,’ Vidvoic emailed to the Tampa Bay Times. "I hope that the City of Tampa will take this as an opportunity to review their policies and make sure that all firefighters are treated fairly."