A firefighter from White Plains, New York is suing the city and the Fire Department for a seven figure sum for harassment and discrimination leading to a hostile work environment when it was discovered he was gay.
Steven Saunders, 43, is a third generation firefighter, a seventeen year veteran and a father of three. In papers filed in the state Supreme Court he said that when rumors began to spread about his sexuality he told Deputy Fire Chief Richard Houlihan he was gay, and he requested that he not tell anyone.
In a report on lohund.com Saunders alleges that Houlihan in fact 'outed' him by telling others in the department.
Once his orientation became public knowledge Saunders was subjected to obscene verbal abuse and mocking by fellow firefighters. Despite his complaints, his suit alleges, his supervisors did nothing to stop it.
Saunders filed the suit, he told lohud.com, to "send a message to my children not to be afraid to stand up for who you are."
In 2009 Saunders was removed from his regular firehouse assignment and made Houlihan's driver instead. The decision to transfer Saunders was made, according to the suit, so that he "would have his own room and the other firefighters would not have to sleep" with him in the firehouse.
The suit also claims that Houlihan advised Saunders to "keep your mouth shut" about the verbal harassment and to "get thicker skin because everyone gets teased — Blacks, Hispanics and Italians."
At a press conference yesterday Saunders told lohud.com: "I grew up in a family of firefighters and my whole life I knew I'd be a firefighter, too. I'm also a father and a gay man. An important part of my identity has been taken away from me by the people that I trusted."
8 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.joejoe55 | Aug 18, 2011, 06:52 PM EDT
The bible says (and this is my belief too!) that man should not lie with man nor woman with woman, their blood shall be upon them. So take it however you wish but it is not right.
joejoe55 | Aug 18, 2011, 06:49 PM EDT
Well, if he told his boss because the rumors had already started it would make me think he is not telling the whole truth and maybe his skin should thickin up, everyone is teased.
cathy/marty | Jul 21, 2011, 11:06 AM EDT
L0OSE LIPS SINK SHIPS!!!
Reaganella | May 14, 2011, 05:06 PM EDT
KMcSinger, Christ, Himself, said man should not lie with man. However, he would love the homosexuals but am certain He would heal them and make them normal. That's what Jesus would do.
Reaganella | May 14, 2011, 05:04 PM EDT
I side with the "straight" firefighters. Homosexuals should just keep their mouths shut about their lifestyle preferences. To have a homosexual man around normal men can indeed make the "real" men feel disgust and abhorence.
eiriamach | May 14, 2011, 04:03 AM EDT
It's rare under anti-discrimination law for a plaintiff to get punitive damages. It would be nice, but it's not likely that he'll get any million dollars. If he has a case, I hope he gets enough out of the lawsuit to pay his lawyer's bill at least. A winning case will send a message: get the bigots out of the police, firefighters, and all departments that serve the public. "Everyone gets teased" is garbage! There are no excuses; no one should have to fight off the harassers just to be able to do the job he or she was hired to do. The bigots assert their ownership of the "turf" and try to drive out people who make them uncomfortable. It's time for the mayor to take a large broom and sweep out the intolerance.
JackFknTwist | May 13, 2011, 07:18 PM EDT
@murphy66 : I wouldn't want to be in the same foxhole with you- fire or no fire ! Who wants to be with a bigot !
KMcSinger | May 13, 2011, 11:38 AM EDT
Pounder, you're a hater. What would Christ do?