A former Chicago Blackhawks worker is suing the group for alleged discrimination and wrongful termination, based on The Athletic. Anthony Filomena, the previous public relations supervisor, claims he was handled unfairly by his supervisor for being homosexual and that he was fired shortly after doing an interview with Outsports.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday, and in it, Filomena asserts that he endured “hostile and aggressive actions” from his supervisor. The swimsuit additionally lays out Filomena’s declare that he was fired on the heels of his interview with Outsports, an internet site masking LGBTQ+ points in sports activities.
Filomena says he acquired approval from Blackhawks chairman and proprietor Danny Wirtz however claims his supervisor was nonetheless sad.
The Outsports interview was printed on April 29, 2024. Based on the lawsuit, a senior worker confronted Filomena about it three days later, saying that his division was “very offended.”
After the alleged confrontation with the senior worker, Filomena states that he informed his supervisor in regards to the matter. Filomena asserted his perception that the worker’s criticism was primarily based in discrimination.
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Sooner or later after Filomena’s alleged dialog along with his supervisor, Might 3, 2024, he was fired. The lawsuit states that the timing of Filomena’s termination is “direct proof of retaliation.”
In a press release to The Athletic, the Blackhawks deny Filomena’s claims that his termination had something to do along with his sexual orientation or the interview with Outsports. The group states that Filomena had “a number of situations of misconduct over a interval of six months” and obtained a proper warning forward of his firing.
“Mr. Filomena was terminated for trigger resulting from a number of situations of misconduct over a interval of six months,” the group mentioned in a press release. “He obtained a number of written communications outlining expectations together with a proper, remaining written warning previous to his dismissal. His termination was solely resulting from continued misconduct and disrespect for our firm insurance policies.”
The lawsuit filed by Filomena claims that he had a “good score” on his most up-to-date efficiency evaluate, which was performed one month earlier than his termination. The swimsuit additionally says the group’s given causes for Filomena’s firing have been “both fabricated, exaggerated, or not the precise foundation for the choice.”
In his lawsuit, Filomena is searching for again pay with curiosity, entrance pay, misplaced advantages, attorneys’ charges, and compensatory and punitive damages.
