Madison Wisc. Accused Of Whitewashing Gay Bias Complaints
Wed. September 24, 2003 12:00 AM by 365gay.com
Madison, Wisconsin -
A state investigation has found that there is probable cause that the city of Madison discriminated against two municipal workers because of their sexual orientation and then tried to cover up the bias.
In an initial probable-cause investigation equal rights regulators determined, the state Equal Rights Division found that the city may have violated the Wisconsin Fair Employment Law on four counts in its treatment and termination of the former employees.
Jeffrey Earle and Douglas Sonntag were fired by city parking utility manager Robin Williams in 2002.
Unless the parties settle, the Equal Rights Division will schedule a hearing before an administrative law judge who will decide whether the city in fact violated the law.
Earle and Sonntag are among several parking utility employees who have filed complaints in recent years with the city Affirmative Action Office charging that Williams discriminated against them because they are gay. That office, however, said the complaints were unfounded.
Following a series of articles about the complaints in the Madison Times, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz ordered an investigation.
In July, Cieslewicz announced that a "thorough" investigation showed there had been no bias against any workers in the Parking Authority.
Earle and Sonntag then took their complaints to the state.
"I am very pleased the state took this seriously because the city of Madison opted not to," Sonntag said.
Sonntag said that while much of the blame lies with Williams, the ERD finding confirms that many in the city dropped the ball on the complaints, including employees in the Human Resources Department, the City Attorney's Office and the Affirmative Action Office.
"There's a long line of responsibility here," he said.
©365Gay.com® 2003
In an initial probable-cause investigation equal rights regulators determined, the state Equal Rights Division found that the city may have violated the Wisconsin Fair Employment Law on four counts in its treatment and termination of the former employees.
Jeffrey Earle and Douglas Sonntag were fired by city parking utility manager Robin Williams in 2002.
Unless the parties settle, the Equal Rights Division will schedule a hearing before an administrative law judge who will decide whether the city in fact violated the law.
Earle and Sonntag are among several parking utility employees who have filed complaints in recent years with the city Affirmative Action Office charging that Williams discriminated against them because they are gay. That office, however, said the complaints were unfounded.
Following a series of articles about the complaints in the Madison Times, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz ordered an investigation.
In July, Cieslewicz announced that a "thorough" investigation showed there had been no bias against any workers in the Parking Authority.
Earle and Sonntag then took their complaints to the state.
"I am very pleased the state took this seriously because the city of Madison opted not to," Sonntag said.
Sonntag said that while much of the blame lies with Williams, the ERD finding confirms that many in the city dropped the ball on the complaints, including employees in the Human Resources Department, the City Attorney's Office and the Affirmative Action Office.
"There's a long line of responsibility here," he said.
©365Gay.com® 2003
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.