Employment discrimination in the workplace can happen at any workplace, no matter the size of the employer. This is evident in a recently filed employment discrimination lawsuit that was filed against the Library of Congress. The circumstances behind this pending lawsuit are not unique to the employer can have the potential to happen at any Kansas or Missouri workplace.
The employment discrimination lawsuit was filed by a 30-year-old male employee of the Library of Congress. The lawsuit alleges that the employed endured employment discrimination based on his religious beliefs, gender and gender stereotyping. The lawsuit also claims the employee endured retaliation after he filed an internal complaint for the same reasons. The lawsuit claims the employee suffered from employment discrimination after his supervisor imposed his religious beliefs on homosexuality on the employee, which created a hostile work environment for the employee.
The hostile work environment included work-related conversations between the employee and his supervisor regarding Catholic beliefs on homosexuality. The conversations evolved into an unscheduled meeting wherein the supervisor lectured the employee about the sin of homosexuality. Following these events the employee requested a transfer that was denied and he was later constructively terminated from his position.
There is some debate within the lawsuit if the prevailing law, the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, will cover discrimination against sexual orientation as differentiated from discrimination based on sex. Supporters of the lawsuit claim a decision in favor of the employee could potentially expand the scope of the U.S. Civil rights Act of 1964. The employee is seeking injunctive relief through the lawsuit that includes a restraint against further discrimination and reinstatement.
Source: Washington Blade, “Fired gay employee sues Library of Congress,” Lou Chibbaro Jr., Aug. 3, 2012
