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A former public relations manager for the Chicago Blackhawks has sued the team, alleging he was discriminated against and fired because he is gay.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in a federal court in Chicago, Anthony Filomena claimed his supervisor treated him with hostility over his sexuality and retaliated after a complaint was raised with HR.
Filomena also accused the NHL team of firing him a day after he gave an interview to LGBTQ+ sports news site Outsport about his experiences as a “gay man in the hockey industry.”
The Blackhawks have responded to the lawsuit, insisting the PR manager was fired for “multiple instances of misconduct” and rejecting any claims that Filomena’s employment was terminated due to his being gay.
Fired for being gay? Why ex-Blackhawks employee sued former employer
According to Filomena’s lawsuit, the PR manager alleged his boss treated him “differently than other similarly situated employees he supervised, discriminating against him because he was a homosexual male.”
Filomena then filed a complaint with Chicago Blackhawks’ HR team, accusing his supervisor of “hostile and aggressive actions.”
However, after the complaint, the supervisor retaliated against Filomena, “yelling and berating” him loud enough that other colleagues could hear.”
In the filing, Filomena accused his boss of violating Title VII and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission protections.
A breaking point reportedly came on May 3, 2024, the lawsuit said, when Filomena was fired the day after giving an interview to Outsports.
The PR manager’s interview detailed his “experiences as being a homosexual male in the world of a professional hockey organization.”
Filomena alleged he received approval for the interview directly from Danny Wirtz, Chairman and Owner of the Wirtz Corporation, the holding company that owns the Chicago Blackhawks.
Although Wirtz told him that the interview would help the Blackhawks’ reputation in the LGBTQ+ community, Filomena received criticism after the article was published, the lawsuit claimed.
The lawsuit accuses the team of firing Filomena one day after he complained to his supervisor that backlash from other bosses at the Blackhawks was discriminatory and “because of his sexual orientation.”
PR manager fired for ‘continued misconduct’ – Blackhawks
In a statement, the Blackhawks insisted Filomena was terminated for “multiple instances of misconduct over a period of six months.”
“He received multiple written communications outlining expectations, including a formal, final written warning prior to his dismissal,” the team’s statement said. “His termination was solely due to continued misconduct and disregard for our company policies.”
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Filomena, however, argued in the lawsuit that he scored a perfect rating on a performance review just one month before he was axed from the organization, and that he “performed his job duties in a satisfactory manner at all relevant times.”
The PR manager alleged that claims of misconduct and poor performance were “fabricated, exaggerated, or not the actual basis for the decision.”
The suit also said that a termination letter said he didn’t have approval for the interview, calling that claim “false and pretextual,” given his reported authorization from Wirtz.
Filomena spoke to CBS News Chicago before the lawsuit was filed.
“I was fired for something I can't change, and I didn't do anything wrong, and I know that,” he said. “Someone just tells you, follow me, and you're gone. Get out. Everything you've done for two years, all the friendships you've made, all the relationships around this city you built.”
“[The Blackhawks] don't care. They used me to get in the door with so many connections around this city,” he continued.
Filomena told CBS News he is now “struggling to make ends meet.”
His lawsuit is seeking compensation for back pay with interest, future pay, lost benefits, attorneys’ fees, and damages.
The firing caused the 33-year-old publicist “to suffer loss of employment, loss of income, loss of employee benefits,” the suit said. “[He] has suffered and continues to suffer mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.”
