Posted on 03/05/2006 1:40:43 AM PST by television is just wrong
(CBS4) DENVER Arapahoe County is threatening to fire a veteran Public Works employee for promoting the fact that he is an English speaking American.
"They claim it's offensive and I've been accused of discrimination and harassment, believe it or not, because of this," said Mike Gray, a heavy equipment operator with the Arapahoe County Road and Bridge Department for 16 years.
The problems began last spring. Gray, 50, owns a lawn service business on the side. He was routinely driving to work in his pickup truck towing a trailer that he uses to carry lawn mowing equipment for his business. On the side of his trailer, the married father of two affixed a sign that reads "Lawn Services Done With Pride!! By An English Speaking American."
The sign also gives Gray's phone number and the lettering is over a background of an American flag.
"There are a lot of people in the lawn service that are non-English speaking," Gray said. "Customers and different people were telling me that they have a hard time trying to communicate with them about the work they want done on their yards. I just want to let people know they at least can communicate with me when I do work on their property."
Gray also wore a hat to work that says "U.S. Border Patrol," which he says was a gift from his son.
Arapahoe County officials told Gray the sign and hat must go or else. In a Nov. 10, 2005, letter, his supervisor Monty Sedlak wrote the following:
"Some of your conduct ... is reprehensible and discriminatory to our non-English speaking and/or Hispanic workforce. You are in violation of ... guidelines which ensure a workplace free from harassment and sensitive to the diversity of employees."
"You are required to permanently remove your cap from the workplace. It is offensive and harassing. Your business sign, if on work premises, must be completely covered at all times. This behavior is inappropriate and any further incidents of this nature may result in further disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment."
Andrea Rasizer, spokesperson for Arapahoe County, declined to answer questions, saying the matter was a "personnel issue."
Gray said he believes his First Amendment rights are at stake, and he said he is "not about to surrender."
"I got a new supervisor," said Gray. "He's a politically correct, bleeding heart liberal. I believe in what I'm doing. I got to stand up for what I believe in and I don't think I'm doing a thing wrong. Of course I don't want to lose my job, but I can't back down from something I believe in. Like I say, they're just chipping away at our rights and freedoms."
In response to the County's firing threat, Gray stopped wearing his Border Patrol hat to work and partly covers his business sign at work so that the American flag and the words "English speaking American" are the only things still visible.
The County says that's not enough, but it's as far as Gray is willing to go.
"Why would any American do such a thing as cover up the American flag and something that says you're an American? Its beyond me that anyone could expect me to do that like my employer is."
Gray has hired attorney David Lane, who plans to file an injunction to allow the County worker to resume wearing his hat on the job and fully display his sign.
"What is of concern to me is whether the government of Arapahoe County is violating his Constitutional rights under the First Amendment," Lane said. "When the government tries to put a gag in people's mouths because they don't like the message that's being delivered, I'd do everything in my power to stop that from happening."
(© MMVI CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) Rel
On local radio stations in Los Angeles, Orange county woman wants all business signs in whatever language to also have the sign in English, so the rest of us know what it says.
Interesting comparisons here.
this isn't about "ballet" initiatives but I thought I would ping you anway
?
just a reference to a thread trteamer posted yesterday
ok.
Sounds to me like he's just advertising an advantage of using his business. And every business in the world does that.
I'd hire him. I'm so tired of trying real hard to work with people who have numerous foreign languages, in the city of the Angeles, (socalled) I'm looking for someone like him.
The city official should be run out of town on a rail.
Thanks! LOL!!
I'm sure if the guy got an OHS hat it wouldn't scare anyone.
If they weren' a bunch of anti American socialists, this is the kind of case the a.c.l.u. should be taking up.
I think his employer is completely correct and reasonable here. You don't wear "Border Patrol" hats around Hispanic people. You don't wear "Ku Klux Klan" hats around African Americans. His employer is not prohibiting him from having his trailer sign except on public premises. What's the big deal?
Sarcasm, right? Border Patrol is a federal agency. KKK is not. What about all those FBI souvenir hats you can buy in DC, can employees wear those?
What if the sign said "Hablo Espanol"? Would that be OK? Just another form of marketing, this time to people who aren't comfortable with English. Go to the Southwest or Southern Florida and you see the "Hablo Espanol" all the time on businesses.
His employer (and you I might add) are promoting fascism.
When the U.S. Border Patrol is compared to the Klu Klux Klan, the comparison is made by one who is in error, is ignorant, or is promoting the violation of American laws via illegal entry into the country. Or all three.
No other country in the world is reckless enough to encourage a border where millions upon millions of uncontrolled, undocumented and criminal aliens cross the border illegally.
PS. I am white, I do not have the same legal rights under the law as the illegals who cross the border. The reason I do not have the same rights is because of my genetic makeup. Would you like a list of all the dicsriminatory laws against white citizens? Where is your sensitivity to all the 2nd class citizens?
Sic Semper Tyrannus!
I had an employee for a time that would often put on an orange jacket with the words "Psych Ward" on the back while at work. I work at dr's office. I told her she couldn't wear it in the office and she became irate. She is no longer employed by me. I can tell employees what to wear while at the work place.
In this case the employer is a government agency. Which means if we don't like what employees are told to wear there is someone that can be voted out of office.
Seems to me that anyone wears any shirt or hat that says anything they want it to say, anywhere they want to go. I saw one the other day that said F_ _ _ Harley Davison at a bike rally with around 500,000 bikers there, how brazen is that? PS Wonder is he made it through the day?
Why?
Wearing a "Border Patrol" hat around Hispanic fellow employees at the workplace is clearly as the employer puts it "inappropriate". Same with the trailer sign. The man can do anything he wants in his free time, but any sane employer cannot allow a poisonness atmosphere to be generated by clothing, signs, etc.
I love the Spanish culture of South Texas. Most Hispanics speak English, but if they don't so what? They're devout Catholics. My father was very impressed at a breakfast buffet at "Golden Corral" how several of the very young Tejano families said grace, out loud, before eating. A lot of them wore religious T shirts.
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