Allstate terminates manager over homosexuality column

WorldNetDaily ^ | June 24, 2005 | Ron Strom

[stormlead]

three children in four years? Give the old gal a breather, buddy- time is on your side!

On another note, this Mr. Barber is a good writer and a smart man. I doubt he'll have difficulty finding gainful employment elsewhere- who knows, maybe he'll be better off in a more 'tolerant' company.

[stormlead]

come to think of it, 3 in 4 ain't really pushing it- especially if there were twins in the mix. Ok, enough stream of consciousness...

[SpringheelJack]

Either their HR department is populated by morons, which is possible, or we are missing some very significant facts in this story.

I think they give those facts in the article. Before his firing Barber had snitched on one of his bosses who was having an affair, and he thinks that's the real reason he was canned. All they'd been waiting for was an excuse.

[SpringheelJack]

On another note, this Mr. Barber is a good writer and a smart man. I doubt he'll have difficulty finding gainful employment elsewhere- who knows, maybe he'll be better off in a more 'tolerant' company

I doubt. Before he was fired he told on one of his bosses who was having an affair, and in the corporate world I think that's a bigger indiscretion than not liking sodomy.

[Sandy]

The training, Barber says, "is really indoctrination hostile toward thousands of employees' Christian beliefs."

Yeah, but he didn't mind working there until they fired him. What a hypocrite. And he picks that loser lawyer from the Schiavo case to represent him? Brilliant.

[ThirstyMan]

Yeah, but he didn't mind working there until they fired him. What a hypocrite.

What?
Where are you coming from with this accusation?
Everyone can't work for a Christian. And if they have a job working for a creep they're hypocrites? That doesn't make sense to me or seem very Christian of you.

The man had a job, an employer/employee relationship, not a marriage.

Allstate took the job away from him for expressing his opinion outside of work. They left him without means or insurance.

I say Allstate is in big trouble over this one and they'll end up paying him more than back pay and getting his job back *if* the facts of the story are correct.

[Captain Rhino]

Here is the bioline from the end of the offending MensNewsDaily article:

"J. Matt Barber is a non-practicing attorney, an undefeated heavyweight professional boxer (Matt "Bam Bam" Barber), and a professional jazz drummer in the Chicago Land (IL) area. In addition to his Law Degree, Barber holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy. Matt Works for Allstate Insurance Company as a Territorial Senior Manager in Allstate's Law and Regulation Corporate Security (Internal Fraud Investigations) Department.

It is probably something put together by the news organization for all of its writers. Matt probably did supply the information at one point - my guess it was when his first article was accepted for use in the publication - and then forgot about it. There is nothing there linking Allstate to his views. Allstate's position becomes even worse if it is subsequently discovered that this bioline has been used in other, earlier articles by him in this new source AND THE COMPANY SAID NOTHING ABOUT IT. Then it becomes a matter of viewpoint discrimination not one of the company aggressively protecting itself from association with ANY viewpoint expressed by ANY of its employees at ANY time.

I suspect his firing was actually driven by his critical comments concerning the assistant vice president's conduct (or misconduct, depending on your viewpoint) and the subsequent complaint he was forced to file when he was harassed about it. The anti-gay article is just a convenient cover for what is really retaliation against the "annoying little Christian" who had the temerity to call a spade a spade.

[billclintonwillrotinhell]

Good points. The bioline does appear to be much more innocent than I had thought. And I do think it's highly likely we would've seen a different reaction from Allstate had Mr. Barber taken the opposite view than he did.

[goldstategop]

I'm not insured with Allstate. That being said, this former employee's termination for violating workplace PC rules is a warning to workers and consumers that Corporate America leans Left more than its supposedly leaning Right. Bottom line: don't work for a company that doesn't reflect YOUR values and don't patronize and shop one that doesn't share them in its corporate conduct.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Juan Medén]

Thank you for pointing this out. I just cancelled my auto and homeowners insurance with Allstate. As a Christian, I can only surmise that my views are not welcome at Allstate.

[mlmr]

Ping

[Sandy]

And if they have a job working for a creep they're hypocrites?

It's more than that. I just can't stand people who think they have a right to work where they're not wanted. Unless he had a contract, he has no moral right to force this company to accept him anymore than the gays have a right to force him to accept them. It works both ways.

[BamaAndy]

Progressive is owned or ran by one of the biggest contributors to the DNC and other lefty causes. I'm sorry--don't remeber the name, but he's a liberal's liberal.

[RepoGirl]

Yeah. Looks like it. This is ridiculous. Now I don't feel so bad about being in blatant violation of their dangerous dogs policy.

[dfwgator]

think ? that their Human Resources department has been over run by closet homosexuals.

I think HR departments at many companies have been infiltrated by them.

[Houmatt]

It's hard to believe that they would explicitly say they were terminating only for expressing a private opinion outside of work.

Why is it so hard to believe? An employer thinks they own you, to the point of thinking they have a right to control everything you say and do both inside and outside of work.

So this action should come as a surprise to no one.

Barber should be be suing. I hope he wins. What I do outside of work is quite frankly none of my employers' damn business.

[HamiltonJay]

Your in A$$muncher hands with allstate...

[weegee]

Posted my comments to a pulled duplicate (rather than locked thread).

I won't bother wasting my typing skills restating my views.

This dupe could also be on the chopping block.

There are right and wrong ways to manage duplicate threads.

Should I post my comments to both remaining threads?

I'm really confused.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

I hope he wins in a big way.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

I agree with you that it will be interesting to see what the other side has to say. However, considering that they were jerkish enough to try to cut off his unemployment bennies says that their PR really stinks. They are coming across as abusive bullies right now...