Tennessee Hotel Employee Fired For Being Gay

David Hill was the human resources director of The Artee Hotel (then called the Brentwood Holiday Inn, though not affiliated with the chain) in Brentwood, Tennessee, until his boss found out he was gay. Hill was fired and the owner didn’t even bother to make up an excuse as to why.

Hill says that the hotel’s owner, Tarun Suti told him, ‘I don’t give a damn. They can sue me. I will not have any of the gays in leadership roles in my hotel.’

And while this could be a case of ‘he-said, he-said’, the assistant general manager of the hotel confirms Hill’s story, telling Nashville’s Channel 4:

“The owner, Mr. Surti, comes from a culture that is not very tolerant to the gay lifestyle, and therefore he felt it necessary to have him removed from the workforce at the property,”

“(He was fired) strictly because of his sexual orientation?” asked reporter Katina Rankin.

“I do believe that’s a very fair assumption,” asked Stoddard.

“Did you agree with his decision?” asked Rankin.

“I did not,” said Stoddard. “It is in our employee handbook that no one should be discriminated against, harassed verbally, physically or any other means for their sexuality, their sexual orientation, gender, race or anything of that sort.”

Hill said he plans on taking legal action and he has already filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor.”

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