Lesbian Employee Forced To Watch Religious Anti-Gay Video Loses Claim For Harassment

As reported by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, a Sonoma County, California trial court yesterday issued a tentative decision (full text) in White v. GC Micro Corp., (Cal. Super. Ct., Feb. 25, 2014).  Plaintiff in the case, a lesbian in a committed domestic partnership, was recruited by GC Micro's CEO to move from Colorado to California to work for the company. She was fired after 5 months.  The supervisor in charge of training sales staff made derogatory remarks about plaintiff's sexual orientation and lifestyle, and required her to watch a video featuring a minister who had "outspoken disdain for homosexuality" and believed "that all homosexuals are sinners." However, according to the court, plaintiff "does not allege that the video contained any inappropriate material." The court allowed plaintiff to move ahead with a sexual orientation discrimination claim and a fraud claim against the company, but dismissed with leave to amend the claims against the CEO and supervisor personally. The court dismissed completely plaintiff's claim for harassment.