Gay teen says he was forced to wear ‘gaytard’ name tag by his boss
A gay teenager from the US state of South Dakota has said he was made to wear a name badge reading “gaytard” by his boss.
Tyler Brandt, a 16-year-old has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, stating that his former employer, Taco John’s International in Yankton, South Dakota, forced him to wear the badge during a shift on 23 June.
Fearing that he’d lose his job if he didn’t, Brandt said he wore the name badge after being instructed.
Brandt also alleged that he was mocked in front of restaurant customers, after asking if he could remove the tag.
He resigned one day later, reports the Argus Leader, and later filed a complaint with the commission this week, assisted by the American Civil LIberties Union (ACLU) of South Dakota.
The complaint alleges that the restaurant violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“What happened to me was so incredibly humiliating,” Brandt told the Argus Leader.
“My hope is that this filing results in a policy to ensure that no other Taco John’s employee will ever experience this kind of harassment.”
The management of the taco restaurant said they would fully comply with any investigation.
“We at Taco Johns are deeply concerned about the reported incident in Yankton,” CEO Jeff Linville said in a statement to the newspaper Wednesday.
“At Taco John’s International, Inc, we believe everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, and in response to Tyler’s complaint, we share his belief that discrimination is wrong.”
