Court: Anti-Gay Christian Bigot Not Protected by 1964 Civil Rights Act

[Ian David]

Court: Anti-Gay Christian Bigot Not Protected by 1964 Civil Rights Act

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against a Wal-Mart worker who sued the company after she was fired for an anti-gay diatribe against homosexuality during a work break, Gay City News reports:

According to the unsigned ruling, Tanisha Matthews, who describes herself as an Apostolic Christian, worked as an overnight stocker at a Wal-Mart store in Joliet, Illinois. While on a break, she took part in a heated conversation with other employees about God and homosexuality.

Another employee who participated reported to management that Matthews was "screaming over her" that God does not accept gays, they should not "be on earth," and they will "go to hell" because they are not "right in the head." During a company investigation of the incident, five other employees confirmed that Matthews said gays are sinners who are going to hell.

Wal-Mart managers considered these remarks to be "serious harassment" in violation of the company's "Zero Tolerance" harassment policy, which bars any conduct that could be interpreted as harassment on the basis of categories that include sexual orientation. Serious harassment is considered "gross misconduct" that is grounds for dismissal.

More:
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/04/the-7th-circuit-court-of-appeals-has-ruled-against-a-wal-mart-worker-who-sued-the-company-after-she-was-fired-for-an-anti-gay.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Daily++%23gay+news%29&utm_content=Twitter


Send this to all your anti-gay fundamentalist chrisTian bigot friends and family and tell them to boycott Wal-Mart!

If we can't get them to boycott Wal-Mart for a GOOD reason, then I say we might as well give them THIS as a reason.

[WatsonT]

1. She can have whatever views she wants

but keeping them to herself while at work would be wise.

[LeftinOH]

2. I pity the folks who just wanted to have a quiet 15-minute break and had to

listen to that argument (regardless of how they felt about the issue).

[RetiredTrotskyite]

3. A Big "Blessed Be" to That...

There is no law against holding this opinion, but I used to hear this kind of crap all the time when I worked for Wal-Mart. Sadly I look to some fundie group finding some way to make this bigot a cause celebre.

[closeupready]

4. Good riddance.

nt

[TheWraith]

5. No shit. Anti-discrimination laws do not cover behavior at work.

You can't be fired for being Christian, or Jewish, or left handed. Proselytizing at work? You can get shitcanned in a hot second, on your boss' discretion, even if you WEREN'T harassing another employee.

Frankly, I'm kind of surprised that this made it all the way to the 7th Circuit, and didn't get laughed out of the room the first time the woman sued.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Was that employee a McClurkin follower or a Robertsonite?

She sounds just like the bulk of sermons in America. Like Terry Jones. Without venom, religion would perish.