Plaintiffs, who work as prison guards for the defendant Department of Corrections, filed a lawsuit alleging that they have been subjected to the hazards of secondhand smoke while on the job.  Plaintiffs allege that, after they complained about their exposure to secondhand smoke, the “Defendants took no action to reduce or remove the second-hand smoke, and even made light of the incidents, suggesting that plaintiffs wear a gas mask.”  See Martin, J., “Guards Sue State Over Inmates Who Smoke,” Seattle Times, June 7, 2003, B2; and Gutierrez, S., “Guards File Lawsuit Over Prison Smoke,” The Olympian (Olympia, WA), June 7, 2003, 1A.

Superior Court, 18.3 TPLR 3.93, Thurston County, No. 03-2-01094-1 (2003).