Some time ago a local business (I cannot disclose the name or nature of the business) hired someone I know (again I must be discrete). During the hiring process and for the duration of this person's employment with the business, this person's religious affiliations, marital status and the fact the person had tattoos (always covered by proper workplace attire) were used to put the person down on moral grounds and as fodder to harass the person on almost a daily basis
Federal law states a person cannot be asked about his or her religious affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, etc., as a condition of employment. Employees are also protected by law from questions of this sort or harassment involving these subjects while they are employed.
When this person attempted to seek recourse by contacting the American Civil Liberties Union and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, little could be done, and ultimately nothing was, aside from this person losing their position of employment following a dispute with the people involved in the harassing.
I'm calling attention to this because I believe it probably goes on a lot more, even here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, than anyone knows. More should be done to protect an individual's civil liberties in the workplace. Paying out-of-pocket for a redress in court was not an option for the person I know. Because the groups I mentioned above offered little assistance, all this person could really do is seek employment elsewhere.
When any one of us allows these abuses (or are forced to allow these abuses) to go on, we as a society all lose important, constitutionally protected freedoms. We mustn't bow down to the narrow-minded people who would discriminate against us because of who we are and how we choose to live our lives as free Americans.
Eric Engle
Parkersburg
