A former employee of the Washington Teachers’ Union, Barry Hobson, on Tuesday sued the Teachers’ Union, along with its President and former Chief of Staff, for allegedly discriminating against him given his sexual orientation. Hobson, who worked at the union as a receptionist and office assistant, revealed that he was also sacked from his job last year.
Hobson said the employers were “hostile” towards him and engaged in “retaliatory actions.” He claimed he was also denied access to the medical insurance other employees had. According to Hobson, he was dismissed from his position after less than three months for being a homosexual. The union represents more than 5,000 teachers in the D.C. public schools.
Principal Brian J. Markovitz and associate Matthew E. Kreiser of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake in Greenbelt, Md represented Hobson in the federal lawsuit.
Hobson has sought $1 million in damages from individuals and the union, represents more than 5,000 teachers in the D.C. public schools, according to the complaint, as he suffered from chest pains, sleep disturbances, weight loss, breathing problems and panic attacks due to the discrimination.
An internal email from his supervisor, Dorothy Egbufor, WTU’s former Chief of Staff, copies of which were included by Hobson in his complaint, said that Hobson “confirmed he engages in same-sex intimacy,” further adding in the email that “never in WTU’s past have we allowed any individual to participate on our group policy ‘openly gay’ and I don’t think this should be an exception.”
The same email noted that LGBT individuals “have AIDS, HIV and STDs” and were to be placed on the union’s medical plan, with union employees having a “substantial premium/rate increase.”
In another email from Egbufor, copies of which were also attached in the complaint, she wrote: “Barry’s nature of resistance and pushback is common among his peers in the homosexual community and will be an ongoing issue for WTU if not addressed while we maintain authority within the probationary period of employment.”
“As a result,” she goes on to add, “I plan to recommend termination and immediately begin reassigning the remainder of his job duties to various staff in the coming days.”
According to the complaint, the President of WTU Elizabeth A. Davis did not take any corrective measure despite knowing the hostility of Ms. Egbufor towards Mr. Hobson.
“What happened to Mr. Hobson was just plain awful,” said Markovitz, the lead attorney for Hobson. “President Davis should resign immediately. The head of the union that represents the teachers who teach our children and shape their values should not condone treating people poorly at work because of who they love. That’s not how people in the DC area want the world to be.”