NORFOLK — A former firefighter is suing the city for alleged discrimination he claims he suffered after the fire department learned of his sexual orientation in 2014.
WDBJ 7 reported that Scott Phillips-Gartner claims he was pushed into retirement due to a hostile work environment after he married his longtime partner, and his coworkers found out he was gay.
Phillips-Gartner worked as a 911 operator for the Norfolk Fire-Rescue, as well as an assistant fire marshal and bomb squad technician.
According to the lawsuit, Phillips-Gartner claims the department refused to let him train with the bomb squad after his sexual orientation was known.
He is seeking unspecified damages.