Former Ford Employee Files Complaint After Being Fired for Anti-Gay Comments

On Wednesday, Thomas Banks– a former Ford employee– filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, saying that he was fired for criticizing the automaker’s support efforts of the gay community.

Now being supported by the Liberty Institute, a Texas-based Christian legal advocacy organization, Banks says that he was fired on August 4th of last year for expressing his religious beliefs about homosexuality after receiving an online newsletter that showed Ford’s extended support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees.

So what did Banks say?? Well, we have the comment that he left in the feedback section of the newsletter.

Banks wrote, “For this Ford Motor should be thoroughly ashamed. Endorsing and promoting sodomy is of benefit to no one. This topic is disruptive to the workplace and is an assault on Christians and morality, as well as antithetical to our design and our survival. Immoral sexual conduct should not be a topic for an automotive manufacturer to endorse or promote.”

Banks added, “And yes this is historic but not in a good way. Never in the history of mankind has a culture survived that promotes sodomy. Heterosexual behavior creates life – homosexual behavior leads to death.”

After posting the comment, Banks was contacted by a Ford human resources representative and fired for violating the company’s anti-harassment policy. Prior to this, Banks had had a clean personnel record.

Earlier today, Ford released a statement in regards to Banks complaint, saying, “We have not yet seen the complaint, however, we believe this matter ultimately is between the individual and their agency employer. Ford’s anti-harassment policy was created to foster a respectful, inclusive work environment for all, and we expect employees and agency personnel to act in accordance with this policy.”

Banks, of course, has released his own press release on the matter, saying, “”I was stunned to realize that I was fired over expressing my faith in a single comment. It felt like Ford was saying, ‘even if you are respectful, your faith, and you as a Christian, are unwelcome at Ford.”

So, what side are you on? Does Ford have the right to fire a man for expressing certain beliefs?