Employee sues grocery store after he took down pro-gay sign, was fired
Thu. May 26, 2011 7:50 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
Merced, Calif. -
Forklift driver Juan Nava didn't like the gay and lesbian awareness poster in the breakroom at the central California grocery store where he worked.
So in June 2009, he took it down. And he got fired.
Now, he's suing the Safeway chain, claiming he was wrongfully terminated.
The lawsuit claims that Safeway said he had destroyed company property by taking down the poster, but that other coworkers who had also removed the same poster only got three-day suspensions.
The lawsuit also states that he got along fine with gay and lesbian coworkers.
Nava's attorney says the poster's message was not the point.
"I have gladly represented people on the other side of this issue with respect to gay rights," Walter Whelan told the Merced Sun-Star. "That's not the point — we're not attacking gays or lesbians. We're just taking issue with the unlawful treatment of my client."
So in June 2009, he took it down. And he got fired.
Now, he's suing the Safeway chain, claiming he was wrongfully terminated.
The lawsuit claims that Safeway said he had destroyed company property by taking down the poster, but that other coworkers who had also removed the same poster only got three-day suspensions.
The lawsuit also states that he got along fine with gay and lesbian coworkers.
Nava's attorney says the poster's message was not the point.
"I have gladly represented people on the other side of this issue with respect to gay rights," Walter Whelan told the Merced Sun-Star. "That's not the point — we're not attacking gays or lesbians. We're just taking issue with the unlawful treatment of my client."