We know there have been some issues regarding Xbox Live Gamertags and statements of sexuality, especially those having to do with homosexuality. I'm not so sure you can actually judge Microsoft on those incidents, as they seem to just be trying to keep Xbox Live clean, but a new lawsuit filed against them may get people really wondering about their stance on topics such as sexism.
The Daily Mail reports that Jamie Durrant, a gay 38-year-old designer based out of Surrey, England, is suing Microsoft for £45,000, claiming that the company discriminated against his sexual orientation. According to Durrant, emails were sent around the office with titles like "I'm Jim and I'm Gay" and "Me and My Favourite Men." Upon contacting Microsoft's HR department about it, they informed him they would send out an email to the deparment about the matter and later reneged, saying new policies would have to be put in place before such an email could be sent.
Mr. Durrant was then asked to sign a document stating that his claim had been dealt with, but he refused. By that time, another abusive message had been left in the staff kitchen. Since that time, he has been out of work for seven months, stating depression as the cause. Microsoft declines to comment on this.
It's hard to know where to even begin when it comes to what to think of the story. Being female, I've experienced some weirdness in the workplace at old jobs, but nothing even close to this. What are your thoughts?
Contest:
5:20 PM on 03.24.2009
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Jim's really gonna screw 'em in the butt with this lawsuit!
He should sue the pants off them.
Call me a fool, but I'm rooting for the homosexual.
On one hand it's definately fishy that they wouldn't take on the case.
But on the other I'm totaly for discrimination in any capacity, except for the law. Law should see all people as "citizens". Period. But any private individual SHOULD have full rights to like one person and dislike another.
That obviously counts for discriminating agains discriminators. And counts for discriminating agains me and people I like.
If he got beat up, no matter the reason, it's time for the law to step in and punish assailants. If his employers don't want to protect him from nasty comments, he should simply quit. And than go public, so people like you, symphatising with him, will later discriminate against his (evidentlly not very professional) employer.
Punishment for MIND CRIME (if he was fired on employers whim, but without breach of contract would there be any story?) will do WAY more harm than good. It will just pit group against group and belief against belief to get special treatment.
Law should not even see this differences.
Citizen was treated with nasty messeges from his collegues and employer didn't respond. Information on if it was becouse he was black/white/homosexual/red haired/low height/etc is irrelevant.
WTF? This isn't high school.
I expected so much more from Lionhead.
SO much more.
And to think Fable lets you sleep with men yet the staff pull this kind of shit! Really, WTF!?
Oh wait Daily Mail, ignored.
It's sucky people still treat gays like this. Even if the employees were originally just joking around, when he made it clear he was upset by it, it should have stopped. And of course, the PR machine in Microsoft just wants to cover it up, when they should be punishing those involved...
First of all why is he suing the company? Shouldn't he be suing the person who sent him the email?
No, the company is liable for the actions of their employees while at work. If the employee did something criminal such as abuse or similar, then the offender would also be personally culpable. Harassment alone in the manner being depicted is not enough for which to sue nor for placing the offender under arrest.
And how does he know the person who sent him the email was a Microsoft employee?
Probably because of that whole @microsoft.com or similar domain name. It's unlikely that they don't work together if they're putting up harassing notes in the staff kitchen.
Also is the person who sent the email breaking any laws?
Yes. Harassment suits have calmed down over the years, but there are laws protecting people of various sex, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation from harassment in the workplace.
I find this lawsuit laughable. If someone sent me an email saying that I am a fag, idiot, murderer, or a N.I.G.G.E.R., does that mean I can sue them?
Only if the company failed to properly handle the situation, specifically if they did not immediately stop the actions taken against the person(s). The person(s) that were doing the harassing would normally also have been warned or penalized in some way, even including firing, for the actions depending on the severity of the harassment.
I'm not against homosexuality just so you don't jump to conclusions.
That, my friend, is the sad truth about our pussy ass country.
Here's an easy enough solution if you get discriminatory email at work... go to the office of the one who sent it and tell him if it happens again they're going to know what a LCD monitor upside the fucking head feels like. Problem -> Solution. I should really work in conflict resolution.
Unless this guy's got some kind of physical evidence showing that microsoft was negligent in their actions, then i think this guy is f***ed. Not proper f***ed either.
What is wrong with you people.
@Tet: According to the article, it was two emails that were "sent around" - assuming they were carbon copied to quite a few people in the office. The third message was left in kitchen/break area. As for your idea of threats of physical violence, not everyone wants to be an internet-tough-guy.
If a person/group was bent on publicly humiliating me at my workplace, and my bosses refused to do anything about it, I might be a little depressed too - especially if they tried to sweep it under the rug by having me sign a conflict-resolution statement.
@Holyetheline: That kind of reasoning is probably why you don't get much of either.
@Chronic Logic: May I suggest less 4chan, more critical thinking skills? If you are indeed black, and someone kept sending emails around the office to your coworkers, using the N-word, I'm sure you'd have a much different attitude about the situation.
@son kakarrot: It's nice that you don't let people's criticism of your heterosexuality get to you. Not everybody is blessed with so much fortitude.
@Peteru: No response from the higher-ups? They refused to do anything about it, because their policy needs to be rewritten - but then asked him to sign a statement indicating that the conflict had been resolved. I think that's a pretty major response. Just not the right kind.
Plus, you should look into the effects of discrimination outside of the law, and when your passive form of acceptable discrimination gets written into law.
@MotoRobo: Your attitude is abject failure personified.