California Man Sues Company That Fired Him For Being Gay, Opposing Prop 8

[FreeState]

Wish I could say things like this dont happen anymore in CA but the truth is we have a long way to go yet...


http://lezgetreal.com/2010/09/california-man-sues-company-that-fired-him-for-being-gay-opposing-prop-8/

Claudionor Fernando Sampaio was fired because he is gay. That is what the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center or LAS-ELC and Rukin Hyland Doria & Tindall LLP claim in the lawsuit that they have filed upon his behalf in Alameda County Superior Court. The suit alleges that Seaside Refrigerated Transport, Inc. fired Sampaio after he inquired whether or not the company provided coverage for same-sex domestic partners, which it did not. This occurred in mid-2008. He started working for the company in 2007.

Soon after, the inquiry, his co-workers and supervisors began making frequent derogatory statements including calling Fernando Sampaio by the name Fernanda, and saying things like “God hates fags,” and “the definition of nobody is being FNF (fag, nigger and foreigner). Sampaio is Black, gay and an immigrant. One manager refused to allow Sampaio to use the office restroom for “fear that he would contaminate it”, and when he did use the other restroom, his co-workers would harass him by pounding on the bathroom door.

On 20 October 2008, Sampaio came to work with a “No on Prop 8″ poster in his truck. Other vehicles in the parking lot had “Yes on Prop 8″ posters and Sampaio wanted to express his view on the subject. The president of the company stated in Sampaio’s presence “I will not permit gays to work here because they contaminate us with their lifestyle. I have a way of getting that out of my parking lot.” The next day, his truck was keyed, and the day after that, he was fired.

[Newsjock]

1. Such discrimination is actually illegal in California

Which is a better situation than in 29 other states:
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/issue_maps/non_discrimination_7_09_color.pdf

[terrya]

2. This is EXACTLY what ENDA would address.

If the Employment Non-Discrimination Act was the law of the land, perhaps Mr. Sampaio wouldn't be fired solely because he's gay.