BELFAST, Maine — Two women from Waldo County who say they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation are suing Bank of America and a New York-based cleaning company in U.S. District Court.
Shelly Flood of Searsport started working at Bank of America in Belfast in 2006, and she received bonuses and positive evaluations until four years later, when her supervisor learned that she was a lesbian, according to the lawsuit.
“The supervisor’s treatment of Shelly Flood changed suddenly and dramatically from cordial to hostile,” states the complaint, which was filed on March 29 in U.S. District Court in Bangor. “The bank then singled out Shelly Flood for adverse treatment and adverse employment actions and began laying the groundwork for her termination because of her sexual orientation.”
Meanwhile, her partner, Keri Flood of Searsport, had worked beginning in 2008 cleaning the bank as an employee of ABM Janitorial Services-Northeast Inc. The complaint stated that until September 2010, Keri Flood received recommendations for her work and “consistently positive” feedback. But that changed when the cleaning company learned from Bank of America that Keri Flood was in a relationship with Shelly Flood, according to the lawsuit.
“ABM singled out Keri Flood for adverse employment actions and, on or about October 7, 2010, ABM terminated her employment because of her sexual orientation,” the complaint states.
Keri Flood also alleges that someone from Bank of America told her employers at the beginning of October that she had assaulted a bank employee, which was a false statement, according to the complaint.
“Said misrepresentations were made with the knowledge of their falsity or in reckless disregard of whether they were true or false,” the complaint says. “The Bank, either by fraud or intimidation, induced ABM to terminate Keri Flood’s employment.”
Bank of America issued a statement Wednesday saying, “We are reviewing the complaint but believe the allegations are without merit. Bank of America is committed to maintaining a workplace free of discrimination and harassment, a workplace where differences — in thought, style, culture, ethnicity and experience, including sexual orientation — help to make us stronger as a company.”
Tony Mitchell of ABM issued a statement saying that his company encourages and expects a positive work environment that is free from any type of unlawful discrimination or harassment.
“ABM’s policies and code of conduct prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employee, including on the basis of sexual orientation,” he said. “In this matter, we have found no evidence that anything unlawful took place.”
Bank of America and ABM Janitorial Services-Northeast, Inc. have until next week to respond to the complaint, which was filed by the plaintiffs’ attorney Marshall Tinkle of Portland.
Efforts on Wednesday to speak with Tinkle were unsuccessful.
According to the complaint, Shelly Flood informed the bank of the alleged unlawful discrimination but despite her efforts the bank ended her employment there on Oct. 1, 2010.
“The bank engaged in discriminatory practices with malice or with reckless indifference to the rights of Shelly Flood to be free from unlawful discrimination and harassment in the workplace,” the complaint stated.
Keri and Shelly Flood each filed a discrimination charge with the Maine Human Rights Commission, which sent them right-to-sue letters on Nov. 29, 2011. Such letters typically are requested of and issued by the commission if it has not been able to investigate a complaint within 180 days of one being filed.
According to the complaint, Keri and Shelly Flood each are asking the court for her job to be reinstated, for back pay, for compensatory, punitive and civil penal damages and for attorneys’ fees.
If this is true, these women need compensation. Amazing and so hard to understand why their would be discrimination based on who sleeps together at night. That has absolutely NO bearing on how well one works. This world needs to love one another. We are all here together until the end!!! Stop the hatred!!!
I agree 100%. Interesting move here by the gay rights folks (I am one of them), as this is sure to generate both public interest and media attention as we gear up for the upcoming election cycle. Hopefully this is the year that gay marriage becomes legal in Maine. I can already see the expression on Penguin’s face, and it makes me smile.
My understanding is that everyone at BofA has lost most if not all of their bonus pay over the last couple of years. Ditto for receiving negative evaluations because that is how BofA justifies a change in policy concerning compensation without actually changing that policy. I do not believe this has anything to do with sexual orientation. It would be wise for folks to learn the facts before becoming outraged about this. Talk to someone, anyone who works at BofA and they will tell you how there has been a steady decline in real wages since MBNA sold out. The real problem is with companies like BofA who exploit their workers. That said, I fervently support the right of all American citizens to enjoy their civil rights on an equal basis. This includes the right to marry whomever you want regardless of sex, race, religion, or any other factor that has prejudiced our laws in the past or present.
Get realistic and read a book about the History of Civilization (civilization actually being a misnomer). The human “beast” has done little except fight and kill each other in the last 7000 years. Or read about the nature of the human”beast” in George Orwell’s book Animal Farm. To think that people are going to love each other on a global scale is like thinking there is a heaven and a hell.
Who cares????
if you don’t care, why did you bother to comment? If this is true, then it is discriminatory. It is against the law. If your employer was gay, and they fired you because you were straight, how would you feel about that? How about we change gay to: Black, Hispanic, female, Catholic, Jewish…etc….
This article dosen’t say weather the employer was gay or not , now that would be an interesting twist !
I shouldn’t post before coffee in the morning…
lol…your post went over my head….
Ed Zachary.
The companies don’t allow discrimination, but that won’t stop a Belfast redneck !
“Belfast redneck !”
speaking out against discrimination then using a derogatory term like “redneck” voids your credibility…
A thousand apologies to homophobic rednecks everywhere !
they don’t? I see plenty of PDA all around me every day from straight couples. From holding hands to kissing. At every place I have ever worked there’s always someone talking about their relationship or marriage. If I don’t want to see/hear it I don’t watch or listen. It’s not my business. Nor is it yours.
How many of us have worked with a straight person cheating on their spouse and violating their wedding vows?Especially if it is a supervisor?I wouldn’t doubt it’s a pretty high number.
Mbna/Bank of America has cameras every where and I mean every where so if an employee is fraternizing with the hired help they will see that, duh!!
The reality of the situation is that most, if not all, straight couples feel no need to hide their love for another person of the opposite sex. In casual conversation, a straight person will naturally say my wife did that or my husband did this, or the kids did this, etc…. without having to second guess or play the pronoun game or do what most lesbian or gay folks do, which is to stay silent. Over time, this self imposed silence can wear very thin and cause unintended consequences, such as resentment, anger, and sadness, and when this happens it seems like a form of self imposed discrimination. When the gay or lesbian relationship is made public, it does not come without a lot of risk. So, you see that most lesbian or gay folks are very, very silent about their lives. But sometimes, people want to feel like they matter, like their lives, their relationships matter and they might just want to say hey – my partner she did this or my partner he did that – just as naturally as any straight person would. Instead, we live in a world where people still wonder why gay and lesbian can’t just keep quiet. That would be convenient for some and not others.
“sometimes, people want to feel like they matter, like their lives, their relationships matter and they might just want to say hey – my partner she did this or my partner he did that – just as naturally as any straight person would.”
Well said! You have clearly illustrated how my partner and I feel, most of the time.
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
I don’t believe that keeping quiet is the answer. However. for those who choose to keep it quiet, why is that? be proud of who you are. If you are ashamed of your sexual orientation and feel that you need to hide it, maybe it is time to re-evaluate your choices.
mmmlllddd:
I would not be too quick to assume that these women are victims of discrimination. Let’s see how this plays out in the courts first.
I am curious as to the facts surrounding the Maine Human Rights Commission issuing “right to sue” letters. Is this because the women failed to file within the required six months of having become aware of the discrimination or is it because the Commission failed to investigate the matter within the 180 days of the complaint having been filed? I have never known the Maine Human Rights Commission to be slow out of the blocks to investigate a sexual discrimination complaint.
Like many stories to hit the press this one raise more questions than it answers.
You said “Is this because the women failed to file within the required six months of having become aware of the discrimination?” This is not inferred anywhere in the article, and I seriously doubt it’s a requirement. Many people are afraid to make such complaints and will tolerate mis-treatment longer than 6 months before they realize they are right and the other person is wrong.
Go to the Maine Human Rights Websites and you will find the following:
When must a claim be filed?
A claim must be filed as soon as possible after the alleged act of
discrimination occurs, but no later than 6 months after the discrimination
occurs.
The 6 months can be a “moving target” if the discrimination is on-going.
That refers to filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, which is a preliminary, but not necessary, step to filing a lawsuit.
The article clearly states only this: “Such letters typically are requested of and issued by the commission if it has not been able to investigate a complaint within 180 days of one being filed.”
I know what the article states: I am just very curious as to whether the reporter got the facts right.
The Maine Human Rights Commission typically is very aggressive in investigating discrimination complaints. I find it very strange that in this case they appear to have dropped the ball.
Because of this inconsistency I am inclined to question the reporting. Regardless, we are missing all of the facts and we certainly have not heard the other side of the story.
much more to this story….
A straight couple gets married. In public. On the public record. That IS making a relationship public, in every sense.
Maybe straights shouldn’t be allowed to marry either, you know, to keep it off the public record.
There is nothing in this article that states this couple wanted to get married ! Get off of the soap box !
the “marriage” topic is actually a big part of this situation. Look at the dates then look at the facebook information page showing married august 10, 2010. civil union maybe? legal name change?
But the comment was about “flaunting it.” Unless you call a straight couple having their wedding photo on a desk, or talking about their husband, or whatever other subtle mentionings “flaunting it” then you’re creating an unfair double standard. You’re holding gays to a higher standard.
Exactly, unless they were having sex at work, they were not “flaunting it”…
I never said there was. Get over yourself. :-)
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
So what. Lots of people get downgraded after several years of positive reviews. Happened to me too. I took it like an adult and resisted the temptation to slam management and bounced back the next year. Some people need to grow up.
The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation — that’s “so what.”
Why should’t they? Do you wear a wedding ring and introduce your spouse to people as “my wife Jane”? Besides that nothing says they did. The article says her supervisor “learned she was a lesbian”. Your relationship, regardless of who it is with, has NO bearing on your job. The offending supervisor should be fired.
apparently you have missed the point.. maybe she was fired for other reasons, but she’s using the “lesbian sexual-orientation discrimination card”.. sad to say but BOA has been making cutbacks for years now.. how is she any different form the many other BOA employees that were let go? and does it say on her pink slip wh she was fired? poor performance? excess use of sick time, or tardies? maybe she blew up at a couple customers.. we don’t know.. sad to think she had to pull the “lesbian” card, and drag the sexual orientation through this.. I’m sure it sucks to lose a job, but suing for money isn’t a fix… just shows you’re a coward and can’t move on..
no , it shows you aren’t a coward and take crap from a business, like some would
How did hssportsnut miss the point? He/she commented on hey-I’m-your-man’s post. You, on the other hand, have provided your own scenario to work with. Maybe it’s true, but saying that someone has “had to pull the lesbian card…” and that it “just shows you’re a coward and can’t move on..” when there is no information in the article to suggest those things indicates that it is you who has not only missed the point but may also have strayed a very far distance from the point.
Obviously there are two sides. One is right, one is wrong. If the discrimination took place then the employers are wrong. If the employers have information in the employee’s records to indicate that there were legitimate reasons for the termination then the employees are wrong and that information will come out.
As for making relationships public, I’m with many of the others who posted here. It doesn’t appear to me from the article that this couple made an issue of their relationship until they believed it was the issue. If being in a straight couple relationship was the reason for losing a job we would expect the straight couple to come forward with the existence of their relationship and object to the termination. It’s everyone’s right to expect their job performance to be based on how they do their job and not on a personal relationship that does not interfere with or have anything to do with their job. That’s my point.
Yeah. Two women, who happen to be partners, had two different companies, decide at nearly the same time, that their performances had changed drastically enough to fire them. Yeah just a coincidence.
Is it a coincidence that only one of them is accused of assulting a bank employee ?
I worked for a company that had to let a woman go(nothing involving discrimination) after repeated violations of company policies.She was given many chances to fix her behavior.Of course she turned around,sued and lost-but the company couldn’t sue her for defamatory statements or misuse of their information.
You’re right — “we don’t know.” That’s why we have the court system. You’re making a huge assumption that this couple is pulling the “lesbian card.”
No one but this couple and their lawyer has said the supervisor did this. Let them have their day in court , let’s not have the trial here in this forum !
Agreed! Anyone can make ASSumptions, but none of us will know the facts until this case hits the courtroom.
It certainly has “bearing ” when others are made to feel uncomfortable and uneasy. Gay is wrong-God says so! And so do most normal folks who were brought up with morals! That is why it is only legal in the more Liberal States. Ever see any Muslim Gays???
It is just as likely to find a gay person in Muslim culture. Muslim gay people often have to live their lives in secrecy, or face being tortured or murdered. If that is what you support, then I just feel sorry for you. Maybe you feel “uncomfortable and uneasy”, because you aren’t secure with your own sexuality, because I can confidently say that nothing about my life effects yours. Despite how hard you try, you are not the voice of God, and definitely do not have the authority to judge the moral integrity of my family.
God said so? Do you have a recording of him saying so? Who elected him to determine right and wrong? Has anyone heard from him lately? Has anybody seen him lately?
“Ever see any Muslim Gays?”
Yes: Waheed Ali, British multimillionaire media entrepreneur and politician. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waheed_Alli,_Baron_Alli
Protip: try Googling a subject before you make a claim or insinuation that’s easily disprovable.
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
Hey, Keri and Shelly Flood, live and let live. Stop forcing your values on the rest of us.
You mean like want to do? Reserve that for the straights, right???
Real Mainers don’t care how other people live.
Hey straight people, live and LET MARRY. Stop forcing your values on everyone else.
There is no such thing as gay marriage
there will be
Actually there has been since 2003.
Then WTF keeps cropping up at the polls every year????
we’ve voted on it once.
And how did that turn out?
And that would be why we are voting on it again….because civil rights of a minority class should never be put to a vote.
“every year????”
Ah we haven’t voted on this “every year”. We only have voted on SSM once and that one time was to repeal a law passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor. You know, those people we elect every two years to represent us.
I support gay marrage. It is my belief they should be given the opportunity to be miserable like the rest of us married folk
So by “live and let live,” you mean, “do it my way or face blatant disrespect,” right?
Live and let live is exactly what they are trying to do… just like everybody.
Not at all , what they are trying to do is make a court case out of the fact that they were fired for poor performance into something it possably isn’t.
So you will be a witness for the defendant then since you seem to have first hand knowledge that the plaintiffs were terminated for “poor performance” and not sexual orientation.
I just read the article and that’s what it says !
If the complaint is true, it’s the other way around…
But it’s ok for the homophobic bigots to force THEIR values on others instead?
How are they forcing their values on anyone? If you don’t like homosexuality, don’t get involved in a romantic relationship with someone of the same sex. Not being allowed to persecute gays isn’t an infringement of your rights, Den.
Why? You are forcing them to live by your values. The difference is that you want to discriminate against them. They are not against you.
This thread is a perfect example of how it goes down. If I terminated one of the gay bashing cretins because their homophobia made for a hostile working environment, they would be the first one filing a suit because I violated their “Free Speech”.
Their case would likely be dismissed on a motion for summary judgment, as one’s First Amendment rights are severely limited within the workplace of a private company.
Umm, it took FOUR YEARS for the supervisor to find out the employee was in a lesbian relationship…..obviously she did NOT “feel the need to make public” her lifestyle. And of course straight couples make their relationships public, in every way and every day.
You really expect folks to believe that the fact that these women were lesbian and in a committed relationship went unnoticed by those at work for four years. You must be one of those folks from away who thinks we Mainers are stupid !
here we go again gays wanting special rights why cant they realize that it is a mental illness just like drug addiction and it can be cured. I know because i have a few freinds that were gay had treatment and they are now cured.and some companies dont want gays just like they dont want drug addicts.
Or blacks or wimmin-folk, right “fixer”?
no thats not a mental illness so that would be a real case of discrimination
There’s hope for you yet. Maybe you, too, can be “cured.”
I pray for a cure every day and I know I will find one. we all have problems but we all dont sue because somebody doesnt like the problem we have. deal with their problems dont force them upon others just so they dont have to deal with themselves
No one was forcing themselves upon anyone. Based on the article, the two woman had no issues until their sexual orientation became known. And since discrimination based on sexual orientation is against the law, they brought a law suit. Nothing special, it’s the law.
Where does one go for gay treatment? I don’t see anything in the yellow pages. Homosexuality was removed from the list of mental illnesses somewhere around 30 years ago.
That is awesome!
Fortunately those who know a lot more than you do disagree!
By the way, it’s also illegal to discriminate against people for having a mental illness.
Im sorry but most people smarter than me do agree, thats why gay marrige was voted out by all those smart people. because it just not normal and they know it .and all gays want it to pass because in ttheir mind it will make things lright.
Hmm… So you’re saying that the vote to repeal Maine’s same-sex marriage law a few years ago was actually a vote on whether homosexuality is a mental illness?
The American Psychiatric Association voted in 1974 to remove homosexuality as a mental illness defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. You will be hard-pressed these days to find any psychiatrist or psychologist who believes homosexuality is an illness.
At least any that would dare to voice such an opinion.
Please educate yourself.
Wow. Please tell me this is a joke
Not at all. They only wear match wedding bands, use terms like Mr. and Mrs., hold hands in public, file joint tax returns, refer to each other as ‘spouse’ on every form they ever fill out, automatically qualify as ‘next of kin’ during medical emergencies….you should pull your head out of the sand (though I understand that you don’t seem to realize that it’s buried)…..
If by “some lesbian people” you mean the Floods, then you need to reread the second paragraph of the article. It was four years before Shelly Flood’s supervisor “…learned that she was a lesbian.”. It does not sound like there was much public making going on. It sounds to me like there is a supervisor out there that is a miserable jerk, and has nothing better to do than cause upset, and cost a lot of people a lot of money.
Why do straight people feel the need to make public their lifestyle? Why do they have to go around acting all “normal”, and shoving it down everyone’s throats? Oy, them straight people.
Another thing to investigate in all of this…Seems to me the manager at Bank of America possibly has/had some kind of oversight of the cleaning contract and contact with the cleaning company supervisor. Too much coincidence that both women started getting mis-treated about the same time.
What??? Straight couples make their relationships public everyday, From holding hands and kissing in public, openly discussing their spouses at work and taking them to work related events, and displaying their photos at work and YES their wedding pictures just to name a few. Every day you are allowed to make your love for one another a public display and this freedom to do so makes you oblivious to the fact that you even have this freedom. That is sad.
Most gay couples I know do this also , thats why I find it hard to understand that this couple’s relationship remained unknown by everyone at work for four years.
Just because a suit was filed don’t mean the company is guilty of the charges. People here are quick to come to judgement. Hopefully all the facts will surface and the right decision will follow based on the facts.
This is a private issue between employee, employer, and the courts and does not belong in a newspaper article until its been settled. A responsible newspaper would not publish it, but we don’t have those anymore. We only have tabloids. There is not much information here, but with large corporations there could be numerous reasons why an employee is suddenly downgraded in a review. Perhaps there was a new manager or maybe the company was adjusting their compensation package and downgraded many employees. This looks like an attempt by the employees and their lawyers to try the case in the court of public opinion.
Yeah. Two women, who happen to be partners, had two different companies, decide at nearly the same time, that their performances had changed drastically enough to fire them. Yeah just a coincidence.
Doesn’t belong in a newspaper until its been settled.
So does that mean there should be no news coverage of a murder case until the trial is over? No one is stirring this up like a tabloid. The suit was filed and became a public record when it was. Most of the reporter’s information was gathered by going to the federal court building. There is not one quote from or reference to a lawyer nor a quote from either of the plaintiffs. All quotes are from the written complaint. They are certainly not attempting a trial of public opinion.
Seriously you compare this with murder? Employment disputes go to court all the time and the Newspapers don’t mention them. The BDN has picked this one because its a hot button issue and they want to sell papers.
Probably a stretch with my comparison…but my point is court cases make the news when they start, not when they are finished.
Discrimination is an issue of major public concern, thus it is newsworthy when a discrimination suit is filed — especially one against a major corporation.
I just don’t understand why or how either company didnt know the employee was gay but still could rate their performance for four years.
I work with about 20 people there are times when people that are just friends bring each other down when one gets a less than favorable evaluation or talked to by the supervisor. The person getting the evaluation talks to their friends and usually you have at least two people that have a bad attitude and their work starts to show it — perhaps one received the poor evaluation and brought their partner down by continuously talking about it thus making her partner’s job performance fall also. Wouldn’t have mattered if it were two women, a man and woman, someone in a relationship or just a friend. People bring people down when they are upset and feel they’ve been wronged.
It’s NEWS. It’s not every day that such a lawsuit is filed in a Maine federal court. It’s also public information, available to anyone who wants to read the complaint at the courthouse. It would be irresponsible for the paper to ignore it.
Maybe it wasn’t a gay issue to begin with. Could’ve been a security issue that they didn’t like and they’re turning into a gay issue. Kind of interesting that one partner happens to work for the company that cleans out the other partner’s bank.
If you want to file a civil action directly in Superior Court, and not have the Maine Human Rights Commission investigate your charge, and if your charge has been filed with the Commission for 180 days or more, you may ask for a Right-to-Sue letter. The Commission will issue you the letter, and immediately stop investigation of your charge of discrimination. We will administratively dismiss your charge upon your request for a Right-to-Sue letter.
many things that the bank does wrong but this isn’t one of them. LGBTA group is supported within the company. Lots of steps taken to get to the point of termination. Doesn’t happen over one instance, would have to be a pattern of events that lead up to being let go. Events would be things that happen in the workplace. What happens outside of the workplace is not why people are let go.
I don’t care who loves who, who marries who. None of my business. I do not pretend to know God’s will for others. I put on a uniform and fought for my country for people to be free. To bad gays have yet to attain that status. I don’t pick heterosexual’s peoples spouses, what gives me the right to pick who a gay person loves and chooses as a partner? For the record, I am a happily married straight man who generally votes other than Democratic, at least in National elections. If these ladies were really discriminated against, I hope they win. If they are “shaking down” these companies utilizing their lifestyle as a springboard to riches, shame on them as this will reflect poorly in the courtroom., I hope they fail. Bank of America is a California based company, which is an extremely gay friendly state. I was on the Board of Directors of a California based non-profit. The laws in California are quite specific as to how such relationships are viewed. I can’t help but think that mindset would filter down throughout the corporation. I was not there when the alleged offenses took place, so I do not know what happened. They will have their day in court.
I can see a serious conflict when a bank employee has an intimate relationship with an employee of a company that cleans the bank ‘after-hours’. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” I can’t imagine the wrath of 2 women scorned.
substitute christian for lesbian and you would be screaming and yelling
Two very angry women.
One very ignorant poster.
Make that three…………..
If it truely is a case of discrimination, take BoA to the cleaners.
If its not, you should be ashamed of yourselves for helping take the gay rights movement back a few decades
“If the homosexuals get their way it will be impossible to fire them for any reason”
Gee I never thought of that OSOK. You are correct (insert eye roll). Since the inception of anti-discrimination laws no black, Asian, female, Hispanic, Muslim, Jew, etc…has ever been fired for any reason. The company I work for is chock full of people not performing their jobs and no one can be fired because the anti-discrimination laws protect them from being fired.
To a certain extent, he has a point though. Has there been discrimination based firings since anti discrimination….of course. That does not excuse the race/sex card being played.
Those that do play the card when they dont get their way, do more harm to their respective causes, than any other group or person does.
If this turns out to be a false accusation and its covered alot in the media, it will do massive harm to same sex marriage.
Not sure how an unmarried couple suing a former employer for discrimination based on sexual orientation will do “massive harm to same sex marriage” if they do not prevail. By the way, if one loses a case it does not mean that the accusations were false to begin with but that they did not have a “preponderance” of the evidence to tip the scale in their favor.
Shouldnt be that hard to do the math on. People are getting fed up with the discrimination card being played at the drop of the hat. It paints whatever special interest group in a negative light, and people will react to it.
Well that has to be the most non responsive post in recent memory.
Sorry Im out of crayons. Youll have to just make do
I completely agree with you. What these two are doing is wrong because I know and many others know first hand that what they are saying is not true. It is unfortunate that the actions that they are taking are going to do more harm than good. I would never argue against same sex marriage because I believe in freedom of choice. But on the other hand I would argue that people in same sex marriages should not be treated special either. Just live your lives and stop working so hard to “defend” yourselves. If you step back and just relax the gay and lesbian people will realize that they are the same as anyone else. No one should care who you go to bed with at night. Seriously this is ridiculous. And yeah please do look at performance and attitudes of these two. They created the issues for themselves. There are strict guidelines for attendance, timeliness, accuracy etc. at the bank. It will be found that these two were not the “picture perfect” employees.
I will second your opinion, the “bank” is so supportive of diversity that people are able to add benefits for there same sex partner (just one example)
yes that is a great example. They also have a strong connection to the LGBTA network. In fact, Shelly was supported in her endeavors through this program as a member. Supporting her choices in this mannor certainly does not spell discrimination. But I can say there is no “network” for straight white men or women, if you want to talk about discrimination. Interesting. Setting all of that aside, I don’t need a group to make me comfortable with my sexuality.
so you were there?
there are more than just a few with first hand knowledge of this situation. MBNA/B of A is a big place with a lot of associates. just shy of 100 associates on the calling floor where this was going on. The supervisory team, I might add does also have a gay man on it. So, with that said, do you think the supervisors discriminate because of sexual orientation? No, they don’t. I am not saying that the manager in question is gay because they are not but, homosexuality is not far when you look at the staff. This would be two ladies out of many and it is interesting that they are the only ones that were let go. There IS a whole lot more to this that is not in the article. Very one sided. I don’t think these ladies would want to release their personnel files for all to read. As an innocent bystander I could only imagine what was in it. On another note, it didn’t take me 4 years to figure out their orientation, and you know what? it didn’t bother me in the least bit. Homosexuality is out there more than you think, and who cares? I certainly don’t. Do what you like, make the choices that you like, that is what life is all about.
Shelly was well aware of the support for homosexuals in the workplace as she was a member of the LGBTA affinity group that the bank supports! With paid time off to volunteer for these events I might add. She also wore her red “bank of america volunteer shirt” proud while attending the parade and other events.
I would say this will be a hard battle for them to fight as there is so much (lots of photos) of Shelly and Keri involved in bank sponsored LGBTA events. For a place that supposedly discriminates against lesbians, why would they pay to allow them to volunteer and have an affinity group to support their cause? That doesn’t make sense now does it.
Hmm…I didn’t think I said anything that would get me flagged.
What’s up with that?
I would tend to agree. I didn’t flag you for review.
I’ve never flagged anyone on here, and never would. If I don’t agree with someone’s opinion, I would rather debate them than call the nanny. More of the spoiled brat homosexual attitude.
Well I have flagged posters but those flag are far and few between. So what do I flag you might ask? Those post that call for violence or use offensive terms to describe people. Other than that I leave the moderating to the moderators.
I believe how the Disqus system works is if enough people click “flag” it moves it to a “moderator” and the comment is replaced with “This comment was flagged for review”. I personally do not agree with this system as I have never seen a post once “flagged” return so readers can again read it.
Some systems have the “thumbs down” flag that hide the post but still is available. I have mixed expectations on how that would work here.
Agreed
Obviously you’re right because since yesterday most any comment that was not in support of homosexuals was flagged. That’s fine if they want to do that. It’s the typical loud and in your face homosexual agenda, that only wants to hear their own opinion.
That will only give them a false sense of no opposition, and a big surprise in the voting booths.
Oh OSOK why do you always have to go to the extreme? You know that “most any comment” has not been flagged. All you need to do is scroll through the 233 comments to see that. Posters like Chinggis Khaan and his insulting manner, hey-I’m-your-man and his record skipping repeative comments, blanc112 and many other comments including yours are still up and available for all to read.What happens in November happens in November. If the SSM side loses in the voting booth so be it. It will take the SCOTUS to correct this injustice anyway and that is coming sooner than anyone thinks.
I’ve noticed a LOT more flagging going on just within the last two weeks.I responded to a very mild,well written post this week.An hour later(or less) it was flagged.I don’t agree with you all the time but you defend your points properly.I’ve never seen reason to flag you.Good luck.
It doesn’t say that they told people their orientation. It says that her supervisor found out that she was a lesbian.
There’s ALWAYS more to the story…suspect that here as well.
Is such a thing as arbitration available?
Not for angry lesbians.
Sort of what you’d expect from one of the greasiest corporations on the planet.
“Every time anyone points out the flaws of homosexual discrimination, the response seems to be that they are “above” any false accusations, which can’t be proven.”
Not what I said or implied. My issue is with knee jerk reactions such as yours that automatically reject the claim before it has had its hearing in court.
~~~~~
“In these times people will do what ever they can get away with for
money. Rip off the welfare system, cheat on taxes, rob a pharmacy, and yes…try to claim discrimination.”
Agreed, people claim many things to get around and under the “system”. But again, to lump these two woman with welfare and tax cheats and robbers isn’t right until they have had their day in court. If they do not prevail in their claim well fine, they tried to scam the system. If they prevail they were victims of discrimination.
~~~~~
“Maybe everyone you know is ripe with integrity and character, but even a homosexual could be out for what they can get. At least if someone is discriminated against because they are black or fat or female, someone can’t claim that, if they aren’t.”
Wish I could say that everyone I know has high “integrity” and great “character” but that simply is not the case. Well all have friends that we wish were different from what they are. And while the color of your skin and your gender are protected classes (just like sexual orientation) obesity is not.
~~~~~
“Exactly who can’t claim discrimination?”
No one. We are all a protected class of one type or another.
~~~~~
“A white heterosexual male?”
Even a “white heterosexual male” can claim discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, color of skin, age, national origin, religion, disability, etc…
A white heterosexual male already has it made from day one in our society and it has been that way since the society began.They don’t have to worry about their rights-they’ve never lost any!
I think there have been obesity related lawsuits.Not sure what the outcomes were though.
I will fight for all of my sisters and brothers in November and beyond.I wish these women well.
I call a that an absolute exaggeration. One example: while a student at one of the selective “BBC” colleges in Maine, I was on the student-faculty admissions committee. It was implicitly and explicitly stated that in the pursuit of diversity in admissions, white men (especially from Massachusetts, to be precise), were the least desirable applicants. There was clear evidence that the selection process catered to those who were non-white and non-male, and minorities, women, and GLBT applicants were often eased through the selection process. It was disturbing and offensive.
As a white male, I felt lucky to have been accepted to this school just a couple of years before.
I saw the same kind of thing happen while employed by the government. Under the guise of affermative action many well qualified white males were passed over for promotion in order to meet a quota of blacks , females and others who were less qualified. By less qualified I mean little to no job experiance , less seniority in some cases. I and many others witnessed this time and time again.
“white heterosexual male(s)” are discriminated against. Maybe not at the rate and frequency of other people but they certainly are discriminated against.
Obesity is not a protected class as evidenced by this story “Victoria Hospital Won’t Hire Very Obese Workers” http://www.texastribune.org/texas-health-resources/health-reform-and-texas/victoria-hospital-wont-hire-very-obese-workers/
Thanks for the update.As far as the obesity thing goes,I think there is a wide latitude for a company that wants to promote a certain positive body image,such as a hospital or gym.
This is just the start. Now sexual orientation is going to be an excuse to sue.remember this in November and vote accordingly. Special treatment anyone.
Did you even read the article or are you just jumping to bigotted conclusions because you hate gay people?
Timmy the vote in November is only about SSM. It will not change Maine’s Discrimination laws. Discrimination based on sexual orientation will remain illegal. Protecting people from discrimination is NOT special treatment.
It’s clearly HOMOPHOBIA that drives this whole issue. Perhaps the people most opposed to same sex relationships are repressing their own feelings for a realtionship with the same sex. It shouldn’t have any bearing on the work place UNLESS they have a policy that no immediate family members can be employed at the same time. Therefore this would be a case when not allowing same sex marriages could be to their beneift, since they aren’t legally married at this juncture. Otherwise, get over sexual orientation and give credit to the good work an employee does.
Discrimination of any sort should not be tolerated.
Nor should claiming discrimination that doesnt exhist, but it happens
Why don’t we let the court decide that.
Some of these comments come with merit…for example, if a gay person is “open” about who they are, just like straight ppl do in conversation, some folks take offense to this and will treat them differently…I am gay, and worked at mbna now bank of america…I was open at work and had a partner…I was treated very coldly by some people and great by others…I was on a team of all middle aged married women at one point in my career, and then me…boy was that uncomfortable…I could never prove it, but I swear there were some on my team that were just looking for a reason to dislike me other than coming out and saying they were prejudice…a person knows and feels when someone doesn’t like them…but there is a fine line between dislike and prejudice…I just hope these two women are being truthful because it would make all gays look bad…another job I had at a local hardware store in belfast…this time all straight guys and then me…I was treated great until I opened up to one of my fellow employees that I was gay and it was the next day, my boss was so cold to me there were icicles forming on the ceiling…I ended up walking out because I felt so shunned…so yes, there are in fact stigmas, and a company can say all they want that they don’t discrimate against gays in the work place, but they forget that you can’t change the minds of everyone and ppl will treat you different if they know…I guess we will have to wait and see if that is the majority come november when gay marriage is back on the ballot!
Bravo! We are so proud of you for taking a stand. You continue to march on in the light of discrimination and you keep your head held high. Those who condemn do not understand. You are a shining light in our family and you are loved by many.
Mom & Dad
Bravo! to you for being AWESOME parents! If only everyone out there was so loved . . .
Unless these women documented every single second of their employment with photos and audio recordings, which is illegal because of the confidentiality agreement you sign, there is no way they will win their case. Massive obscene companies like BOA do whatever they want to whomever they want. While the company itself does not seem to be originally at fault in this situation,( it is a manager who apparently started this ball rolling), when the time comes for this to go to court, it will be BOA that will provide “evidence” that the employee in question was fired for poor performance.
MBNA was famous for this. If an employee got sick and required time to recover, MBNA not only would refuse to pay the disability insurance, but would fire them for “abandoning” their job , and if an employee refused to lie to the customers regarding how their accts were handled the company would start harassing the employee by making sure that their quarterly reviews were negative even if the employee had exemplary job performance. The company would simply produce altered documents to show the employee did not do their job well. I know this is true, it happened to me and many, many others. In my case, when I was due for a promotion, one based on performance btw, they pulled out documents that showed that I had not met my goals for that month, yet I had personal documentation to prove differently. When I was due a merit for a finding a fraud ring, the accounts in question suddenly disappeared and the company said they never existed; even though, on my personal copy of accts and transactions, names, dates, phone numbers and statements from the police that I kept in my desk the truth of the matter was documented.
Make no mistake, it does not matter what gets you into someone’s sights at one of these companies, you will find yourself driven out, one way or the other if that person wants you to go. And since the cleaning company is contracted to BOA, I include them in the conspiracies and office politics that creates a hostile work environment for so many. I do not know the truth of this particular case, but I do know it is almost impossible to go against one of these corporate monsters and come out standing.
If your case is righteous, good luck ladies, you are going to need it.
as much as I support these women, they are fighting Bank of America….and the laws that apply to everyone else? Bank of America is exempted. They are beyond the law….which we saw the other day when the legislature vetoed the mortgage foreclosure act ….and basically said its okay for forged and fraudulent paperwork to be submitted to our courts by the big banks.
so, a lawsuit by two women? BofA will shut these two down with one phone call. The peasants have no rights any more when it comes to dealing with the big banks. The best thing anyone can do is stay far, far, far away from them.
Note to liberals – this is that special right given to homosexuals that we discussed when you forced us to accept that anti-discrimination law a few years back. If you are a heterosexual, you can still be fired for any reason. If you are a homosexual, your employer risks a lawsuit for either deciding not to hire you or trying to fire you. As an employer, do you think this makes it more likely or less likely that I would want to hire someone who has a unique right to sue me for no reason?
No, if you are a heterosexual, you cannot be fired for any reason. That’s ridiculous and that’s a lie. Quit trying to demonize gays, they don’t have unique rights.
Bull
The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations and education opportunity based on sexual orientation. See ME. REV. STAT. ANN. tit. 5 §4571-76 (employment), §4581-83 (housing), §4591-94F (public accommodations), §4595-98 (credit), §4601-04 (education opportunity).
That’s a neutral law. It protects sexual orientation universally. You can’t be fired for being straight or gay. You can take back your “bull” comment now.
The law also prevents an employer from firing you because the employer suspects you’re gay, even if you’re not.
LOL…you think someone that has concern and compassion for others is causing “our society to erode away”? Kindness, compassion, and consideration for others, is “like a disease that is cancerous to the American way of life”? Sorry, but I believe it is your backwards, hateful, and intolerant “feelings” that are cancerous to the American way of life. I suppose if it were left up to you, we would all be sent back to the dark ages with no rights or freedoms. It is just absolutely hilarious, to me, that you could actually suggest fostering good feelings toward another person, would be the downfall of our country.
This lawsuit could have happened either way. Maine state law doesn’t support discrimination based on sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with “special treatment”.
OMG–just stop with the ‘special treatment’ crap already…
When sexual orientation is no longer used as a defense.
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
Repeating the same post over and over does not make post anymore accurate.
REALLY??!!
You’ve never seen two straight people getting all gropey-gropey in a public place? Where do you live?
my guess would be a cave.
I would say lack of compassion and understanding are far more a problem for this nation.
LOL – we’re the most compassionate, caring and giving country the world has ever seen !
Of course, studies have shown that its mainly the racist, religious right that gives the most.
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
It would be nice to know what you say. No evidence to back up your statement – cause ther ain’t none.
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
What tripe your post is. Anytime you want to see people “flaunting” heterosexual activity all you need to do is drive down any road in Bangor, Brewer, Old Town, Orono or spend time on a high school or college campus.
And seriously, when was the last time you so even one same sex couple “flaunting” their sexuality anywhere? In the past two years I can count the times I have seen in on one hand and not use two of my fingers!
You are obviously a blatant liar when you say, “no you got it wrong I treated them no different than I would anyone.” Yet your comment, “here we go again gays wanting special rights why cant they realize that it is a mental illness just like drug addiction and it can be cured” shows exactly what your true colors are. Tell me, is it not a sin to lie? Or, maybe lying is a mental illness?
By-the-way, that was intended for: tcwfixer
Are searsport lesbians different than bangor lesbians? Do they get more rights if they say they are from searsport.I am a fifty year old guy tired of my job.Can i use old white guy to defend my poor performance or screw ups.Who can i sue for this anyone know.
Try god.
There’s NO hate in the world just read the comments,
Truth is if some one doesn’t act or say what you do they are automatically wrong. I’m no scholar but many of wars have started because of different beliefs.Just two more things here,first I’m not gay or bisexual,second I’m not the judge in this case. We should all learn that letting your emotions decide anything creates more of a problem or just shows how wide spread it is.
I hope they have some real proof that it was because of this. Just because someone gets good evaluations for a few years doesn’t mean that their work won’t start to become weak at some point. Because you chose to have a relationship with the same sex individual should not make a difference. Using this as an excuse for being able to perform poorly at your job shouldn’t be allowed either. I have worked with people that say “well they wouldn’t dare to repremaned me because they’re afraid of getting sued.” I think people saying these types of things puts doubt in the minds of some people as to whether its discrimanation or poor work habits.
the moral of this story is, dont fool around with the cleaning lady
CHA-CHING $$
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
Why do some lesbian people feel
(flaunt) the need to make public their lifestyle. Most straight couples don’t
make (flaunt) their relationship public.
the record is stuck. somebody kick the turntable.
I enjoy watching lawsuits like this one. BOA was one of the first “gay” friendly companies, so it should be interesting whether these two ladies’ lawsuit has merit.
Why do losers feel the need to make their condition public?
I don’t know maybe since you are one, you can let us all know why your such a looser.
Awe! Did we strike a nerve there, hey-I’m-a- dimwit. I don’t know whether their claim is true or not, I’m not psychic. If their claim is true, then they have to explain the reason to their lawyer in order to right a wrong. If their lying, well most deceitful people play whatever card is conducive to their identity. Your statement reveals your prejudice, which is just ignorance. By the way, there is only one O in loser.
Here is something to think about. Since gender is a protected class under Maine law why would anyone want to use sexual orientation unless it were true? It isn’t like they will get more money.
This could get lost in the 226 comments, but WHAT IN HECK DOES “LESBIAN” HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE BANK OF AMERICA’S PREJUDICE AND POOR BUSINESS PRACTICES? Cannot we have news without pinpointing “lesbian or homosexuality” as the basis for the news story?