Florida County Worker Says Homosexual Pride Flag Honoring Orlando Victims Creates "Hostile Work Environment"

In the days after the Orlando nightclub massacre, one county employee in Florida said she didn't believe protected at work — because of a delight flag. An worker in Hillsborough County, near Orlando's Orange County, complained a few rainbow flag developing "a antagonistic work atmosphere" for her after the deadliest mass taking pictures in contemporary American history, in line with a letter acquired by way of the Tampa Bay instances.

Hillsborough County raised the pride flag outside its govt center on Wednesday, in honor of the 49 americans murdered at Orlando's gay membership Pulse. only one day later, Commissioner Stacy White bought a grievance about it. Omar Mateen's telephone conversations with negotiators to be launched In an e mail to the county's HR department, White noted an anonymous county worker — citing her "amazing Christian beliefs" — saw the flag simplest as a probability.

The worker stated "it will be virtually insufferable for her pass the 'pride' flag (sic) each morning as she enters the workplace," White wrote within the word. "She certainly indicated that the screen of that flag, for her, has created a hostile work atmosphere."  White referred to the flag should still go down if it gave the county any prison legal responsibility — however he additionally gave the impression to believe the worker's flag fears.
Fla. driver cuts through Orlando shooting funeral procession "I are looking to state for the listing that, however there's deemed to be zero liability from an HR perspective, it remains — in my opinion — unconscionable that the county administrator didn't specific to the board that this divisive image may create an uncomfortable workplace environment for many of his personnel," White wrote.

Mourners pay their respects to the victims of the Orlando taking pictures He ended his letter through calling the satisfaction flag a "divisive, politically-charged symbol." County Administrator Mike Merrill confirmed no signs of reneging the rainbow in a rebuttal he wrote the following day. "i am not aware of any employee complaint or difficulty having been expressed prior to the Board's action," Merrill wrote to White.
"I agree with that I had no affordable basis to accept as true with that the Board's motion would create a opposed or uncomfortable work atmosphere."

The county board voted 5-1 to maintain the flag flying via all of June, which is the country wide LGBT satisfaction Month. The board additionally selected to commemorate the Orlando victims each year on June 12 with a candlelight vigil. because his letter went public, clients have flooded White's facebook web page with criticism — and with images of satisfaction flags. "i'm hoping that you'll take time for critical reflection about the way you're the usage of your time and have an effect on on your elected place and how you're representing your religion," user Laura Gage wrote. "At the moment you might be now not the use of either to make the realm a stronger location."