A Catholic girls' preparatory school in
Milton, Massachusetts is facing a lawsuit over the firing of a food
services manager because he's gay and married.
Matt Barrett filed the complaint on
January 30, 2014. A first hearing in the case is being heard on
Tuesday in Norfolk Superior Court.
According
to the complaint, Barrett, a longtime food industry professional,
was offered the position of food services director at Fontbonne
Academy on July 9, 2013. He filed employment paperwork that listed
his husband, Ed Suplee, as his emergency contact. The following day,
he was told that the school would no longer employ him because he is
married to a man.
Barrett is represented by GLAD, which
asserts that in firing its client from a job having nothing to do
with religion, Fontbonne Academy is in violation of the state's
non-discrimination law.
“If I'm planing and making meals for
students, I'm not sure what my being gay has to do with the job,”
Barrett said. “I've always done well in my work, and was excited
about working at Fontbonne. All I did was fill out the form
honestly.”