Two women firefighters are suing South Kitsap Fire and Rescue, alleging sexual harassment by a battalion chief who retired in January 2017 after the district notified him the fire chief was proposing he be fired. An internal investigation found former Battalion Chief Michael Wernet made inappropriate and degrading remarks and actions toward the women – at times repeating them to others – and once made sexually-charged comments in front of one of the women’s children. An internal investigation launched by the district after it received complaints about Wernet found he also made racially-tinged comments toward one of the women.