A former Chicago Blackhawks employee is suing the team for discrimination and retaliation, alleging he was treated differently by his supervisor for being gay, and then wrongfully fired shortly after being interviewed by Outsports, a website covering LGBTQ+ issues and individuals in sports.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit, filed Thursday on behalf of Anthony Filomena, said the Blackhawks\u2019 former manager of public relations dealt with \u201chostile and aggressive actions\u201d from his supervisor, who was hired about a year into Filomena\u2019s two-year stint with the Blackhawks. It then states that Filomena was fired one day after complaining to his supervisor that he was being unfairly criticized for his interview with Outsports, an interview for which Filomena said he had direct approval from team chairman and owner Danny Wirtz.<\/p>\n
Outsports published the interview on April 29, 2024. Three days later, the lawsuit alleges, Filomena was criticized by another senior employee, who told him the department \u201cwas very angry about it.\u201d Filomena said he requested permission from Wirtz in a text message earlier in the month after Outsports reached out to him, and that Wirtz approved, stating the article would boost the team\u2019s reputation in the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n
The suit says Filomena then told his supervisor that he believed the criticism stemmed from \u201cdiscrimination based on (Filomena\u2019s) sexual orientation.\u201d The next day, May 3, 2024, Filomena was fired. The lawsuit says that Filomena had a \u201cperfect rating\u201d on his performance review a month earlier, and that he \u201cmet or exceeded performance expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n
In response to the lawsuit, the Blackhawks said Filomena was fired for other reasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Filomena was terminated for cause due to multiple instances of misconduct over a period of six months,\u201d the Blackhawks wrote in a statement. \u201cHe received multiple written communications outlining expectations including a formal, final written warning prior to his dismissal. His termination was solely due to continued misconduct and disregard for our company policies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lawsuit argues the team\u2019s \u201cstated reasons for termination \u2014 alleged policy violations and performance deficiencies \u2014 were either fabricated, exaggerated, or not the actual basis for the decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe proximity between (Filomena\u2019s) complaint about discrimination and his termination is direct evidence of retaliation,\u201d the lawsuit alleges.<\/p>\n
Filomena\u2019s lawsuit alleges that other employees who were not openly gay, \u201cwho engaged in comparable conduct, were not terminated.\u201d He is suing for back pay with interest, front pay, lost benefits, attorneys\u2019 fees, and compensatory and punitive damages. The situation, the suit says, has caused Filomena mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation, degradation and loss of enjoyment of life.<\/p>\n
The suit was filed in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.<\/p>\n