Legal Fees for Wrongful Termination

Hello, my name is Matthew, and I am a Librarian!

 

In July of 2021 I was suddenly fired from my dream job as a Youth Services Librarian in Upstate New York.

 

July 2nd, I was handed a "Warning" notice. This was the first and only notification they gave me that they were dissatisfied with anything I had done. Within the notice they included things like "Did not purchase enough books" despite the fact that I was on track to spend my entire budget by November. Or "did not advertise programs well enough" even though my most recent programs were fully registered and fully attended! 

 

But this warning letter seemed very off because they included two notes about inappropriate interactions with teens, and to "be more mindful of conversation topics."

 

When I asked for clarity, they informed me that they had come to understand I was having discussions with teens about "Gender" 

When I pried for clarity to ask 'do you mean when I ask for their names and pronouns' 

I was only told "We don't feel it's appropriate." 

 

They told me that I had two weeks to "improve" however, i knew that there was nothing to be done and that this "letter" was a formality as firing me immediately would look worse. 

 

I reached out to Empire Justice immediately - but they told me nothing could be done until I was actually fired. 

 

So I spent the next two weeks making every effort to address every concern they had (I bought more books, I made more advertisements etc.,) because I knew I was going to be fired - so I wanted as much evidence as I could that the only reason they chose to fire me was their PERCEPTION that my interactions with teens are inappropriate. 

 

Some of the teens did come out to me as trans or queer, which is why I worked hard to make the library a safe space for teens. 

 

When I was fired two weeks later, I immediately filed a Wrongful Termination suit. 

I believe there is no other reason that I was fired, other than the Library being uncomfortable with a queer man working with queer teens. 

 

In January of 2022 the Department of Human Rights in New York determined there was probable cause in my case that I was illegally fired, and have advanced it to a public hearing.

 

I was hopeful to work with Empire Justice, however they are too involved with other cases to represent me in this lawsuit.

As such I am raising fees for a private attorney.

 

 

Any money not used directly for attorney and/or legal fees will be donated to the "National Center for Transgender Equality" at the end of the lawsuit.