(Image via Getty: Chicago Blackhawks logo) In this day and age, when there’s a growing focus on LGBT inclusion, Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers of The New York Times reported that a former Chicago Blackhawks employee was suing the team for discrimination and retaliation. The employee alleged that he was “treated differently” by his supervisor for being gay. Not only that, he was also fired after being interviewed by Outsports, a website that covers LGBTQ+ issues and individuals in sports. According to the lawsuit, Filomena is suing for back pay with interest, front pay, lost benefits, attorneys’ fees, and compensatory and punitive damages.
Former Blackhawks public relations manager reached out to human resources department
On Thursday, Anthony Filomena, a former public relations manager for the Chicago Blackhawks, filed a civil rights lawsuit in Federal Court in Chicago. He accused his supervisor of – “treating [Filomena] differently than other similarly situated employees he supervised, discriminating against him because he was a homosexual male.” When Filomena reached out to the human resources department about his supervisor’s “hostile and aggressive actions,” the supervisor resorted to more hostile actions by “yelling and berating” him loudly in his office so others could hear.
Chicago Blackhawks employee was fired for an Outsports interview
The civil rights lawsuit also stated that Anthony Filomena was fired one day after he complained to the supervisor that he was being unfairly criticized for his interview with Outsports. Despite the interview being sanctioned directly by Chicago Blackhawks owner and chairman, Danny Wirtz. The interview was published on Outsports on April 29, 2024. Three days later, Filomena alleges that another senior employee told him that the department was “very angry about it.” Filomena shared that he requested permission via text message from Wirtz after Outsports approached him for an interview. He said Wirtz approved it, stating that the article would boost the Blackhawks’ reputation in the LGBTQ+ community. Filomena said that his termination letter claimed that his Outsports interview lacked authorization. The lawsuit called it “an assertion that was false and pretextual.”
PR manager shared that he shouldn’t have to be scared for his livelihood
On August 15, Anthony Filomena told CBS News, “I was fired for something I can’t change, and I didn’t do anything wrong, and I know that. Someone just tells you, follow me, and you’re gone. Get out.Everything you’ve done for two years, all the friendships you’ve made, all the relationships around this city you built. [They] don’t care. They used me to get in the door with so many connections around this city. Where do I go from here? For two years, I was the publicist for the Blackhawks around this entire town, and now I’m just struggling to make ends meet and make sure I don’t lose my apartment and dogs. I’m a grown 33-year-old man that put myself through college and everything on my own, and now I have to think about what I’m doing now. I shouldn’t have to think that. I shouldn’t have to be scared for my livelihood on a daily basis.”Also Read: NHL Insider assures that Sidney Crosby trade talks are happening at the highest levels | NHL News – Times of India