Pretrial hearings begin today in the case of four San Diego firefighters who claim they were forced to ride in the 2007 San Diego LGBT Pride parade and subjected to sexual harassment.

Fire Capt. John Ghiotto, engineer Jason Hewitt and firefighters Chad Allison and Alex Kane filed suit against the city last year, and in January, a local online news site reported they would seek $750,000 each.

The firefighters – who, at the time of the 2007 parade, worked at Station 5 on 9th Avenue in Hillcrest – claim their battalion chief ordered them to ride in the parade, despite expressed concerns. They also claim attendees taunted them with sexually explicit comments.

“There are a number of witnesses from [2007] and from previous years who were also subject to unwanted sexual advances,” said Charles LiMandri, the firefighters’ attorney. “Other people have observed it, including members of the senior staff; they heard and saw many of the things my clients said happened.”

City Attorney Michael Aguirre, who will defend the city during trial, said the city did not want to settle with the firefighters.

“We believe the parade is a positive, joyous event, and not inherently sexual – that is a stereotype,” Aguirre said. “The [claim] of impolite behavior or the potential for impolite behavior is a distortion of the character of the parade.”

Aguirre said the firefighters’ claims of “severe and pervasive” sexual harassment, were, in fact, “isolated and minimal.”

“We are not going to compensate people for bringing this kind of claim,” Aguirre said. “I consider this to be an attack … There is all kinds of boisterous behavior at any parade – we cannot control what happens at a mass public event.

“We believe there is another agenda here. This has nothing to do with sexual harassment. It has everything to do with stereotypes and discrimination.”

LiMandri said the suit has nothing to do with discrimination.

“These men served that community with honor and integrity, and they were happy to do it,” LiMandri said. “This has never been a matter of being anti-gay. These men loved that community. They treated everyone with the same amount of respect – the people there don’t deserve anything less.

“On the same token, people shouldn’t be put in situations against their will, and forced to endorse a political message in public, on the job, in uniform … [The gay community] has the right to have the parade and to promote a message of full rights and equality, but you cannot make someone participate in an event like that.”

LiMandri said the firefighters faced retaliation, including pay cuts, after the suit became public.

The policy that required the firefighters to participate in the parade has since been revised. The fire department now relies on volunteers to participate in parades.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Anello will hear pretrial arguments today. Jury selection in the case will begin Monday.