"Same-sex marriage is the law–get used to it!" he was told
POSTED: October 30, 2009
A Massachusetts man was fired from a national
retail corporation because of his traditional beliefs on same-sex
marriage. Peter Vadala was formally dismissed from his job as second
deputy manager of the Brookstone store at Boston’s Logan Airport on
August 12, 2009, after a supervisor reported him to Human Resources
regarding an incident two days earlier.
As Peter described the incident (see video above), he came to work
on August 10 and began his day normally. A female manager from another
store was in the store and began talking to Peter about her upcoming
marriage. When Peter asked “where is he taking you for the honeymoon,”
she corrected him and said she was not getting married to "he" but to
another woman.
Peter did not immediately react, but when the manager sensed Peter’s
discomfort with the subject of same-sex “marriage”, the woman
apparently continued bringing it up to Peter throughout the day,
reiterating that she was getting married to another woman. Finally,
after the fourth or fifth time she brought it up, Peter remarked that
his Christian beliefs did not accept same-sex marriage. At that point
the woman became very angry and bluntly told Peter that he needed to
“get over it” and said that she would be immediately contacting the
Human Resources department.
A few hours later Peter was notified by a Human Resources
representative that he was suspended from work without pay, effective
immediately. Two days later, on August 12, after some further
interaction with the Human Resources department, he was formally
notified that he was terminated from the company.
Brookstone’s termination letter to Peter states
that “in the State of Massachusetts, same-sex marriage is legal.” It
goes on to describe Peter’s actions as constituting “harassment” and
that his comments were “inappropriate and unprofessional.” It further
accuses him of “imposing” his beliefs upon others.
In addition, the letter curiously quotes another employee who did
not witness the incident, but who says Peter told her that he considers
homosexual lifestyle to be “deviant”. Peter strongly denies ever having
said that to that to the other employee.
READ: Letter of termination to Peter from Brookstone