NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A former firefighter in Virginia claims the city of Norfolk discriminated against him because he's gay.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday that 55-year-old Scott Phillips-Gartner is suing the city for allegedly creating a hostile work environment. He claims he was forced to retire and endured verbal abuse after marrying his longtime boyfriend.
Phillips-Gartner served as a 911 operator for Norfolk Fire-Rescue and later as an assistant fire marshal and bomb squad technician. He said his bosses learned he was gay after he got married in 2014.
The suit claims Gartner was stripped of his law-enforcement powers and denied routine bomb-squad training. He's seeking unspecified damages.
Norfolk Fire-Rescue spokesman Harry Worley and Deputy City Attorney Heather Mullen declined to comment on the suit because they said it's a personnel matter.
