Gay worker claims Facebook "like" got him fired

[xchrom]

http://lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/12/11142928-gay-worker-claims-facebook-like-got-him-fired?lite

A former management analyst at the Library of Congress is claiming he was fired after he "liked" a Facebook page for same-sex parents, an act he says led to his boss discovering he is gay.

Peter TerVeer liked the “Two Dads” page on Facebook, a group that helps “promote the gay and lesbian community,” according to the page.

When his manager, John Mech, discovered he was gay, TerVeer’s once-positive performance reviews turned negative, he alleges, and his boss started making derogatory statements about his sexual orientation, according to TerVeer's attorney Thomas Simeone.
Simeone would not comment on details of the case, but a Roll Call article published Tuesday said shortly after TerVeer liked the Two Dads page:

'TerVeer said he started to receive emails from Mech that contained ‘religiously motivated harassment and discrimination.’ Mech then called him into a meeting for the purposes of ‘educating him on hell and that it awaited him for being a homosexual.’

[RKP5637]

1. I have absolutely no doubt this could happen. I've worked some places

where if that were discovered they would have covertly fired someone without a doubt. It's one thing to suspect, but another to see something that someone believes is fact, relevant or not. Good old religion was at work again allowing twisted minds to persecute people. I'm so fed up with religion in the US.

I often wonder sometimes how many peoples jobs have been impacted by social media and they don't even know it ... maybe they wonder why promotions don't come, raises aren't that great. Maybe someone doesn't like the church they attend, maybe someone doesn't like the sports team they are a fan of ... one never knows what's going on in twisted minds. The article was an example in a gay case, but IMO this could happen to anyone for whatever reason. I'm not a fan of social media, at all, for those reasons.

[Maine-ah]

2. KnR

[madaboutharry]

3. Seems like Mr. Mech should be the one without a job.

If Mr. TerVeer has the emails it pretty much is a slam dunk.

[HughBeaumont]

4. If those mails are saved, Mr. Mech is kind of fucked on this one.

This is discrimination, cut and DRY.

[Iris]

9. And in what is probably a government job

Library of Congress?

[secondwind]

5. It happened to my daughter.

[MineralMan]

6. Oh, I hope he has those emails still.

The boss needs to be the one fired, not the analyst.

[Fearless]

7. Thanks for ENDA Mr. President.... oh wait... I forgot...

[xchrom]

8. right? nt

[southernyankeebelle]

10. Did he get on facebook at work? I didn't read that in the article. If he got on facebook at

work and it doesn't matter if a person is straight or gay. You shouldn't be on the computer doing personal business. However saying that the man should have been warned and if the man stopped the supervisor should of stopped. I have a feeling his boss just kept it up. Hopefully he has times and dates and maybe witness that can help him.

[Hugabear]

11. Except that's not what happened. Read the OP.

The OP describes a pattern of abuse that began after the employer discovered the employee was gay, eventually leading to termination. As others have mentioned, the emails are very damning. The employer would have a very difficult time explaining how this wasn't discrimination.

[southernyankeebelle]

12. I thought it happened after. Your right. I am sure he'll win.

[Ratty]

13. Library of Congress has a LOT of gay employees

I've worked with LC for years and it's always been an extremely gay-friendly environment. Way way over the national average for gay people. I've always worked for a very gay-friendly institution with lots of other gay people but I have encountered people like the alleged John Mech - luckily I've never had to work for them. So I admit it's possible his claim has merit but I completely reject any implication that homophobia is ingrained at the institutional level there. I hope and expect the Equal Employment Opportunity Complaints Office will take care of the matter and it doesn't go to a lawsuit.