With Or Without HERO, Houston Employers Risk Legal Trouble For Workplace Discrimination

Joe Gagnon was featured on Houston Public Media on November 4, 2015. The segment “With Or Without HERO, Houston Employers Risk Legal Trouble For Workplace Discrimination” discussed how local employers could find themselves in legal trouble if they discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender employees, even with the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) off the books for good. They still need to worry about another four-letter acronym: EEOC. That’s the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency charged with handling enforcement of civil rights laws.

Joe said, “The EEOC has already said that they will and in fact they already have investigated complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. So employers are not immune from liability now, even though this ordinance has been defeated.”

Joe stated that he expects Houston’s city government is likely to revisit the issue, passing a revised anti-discrimination statute under the next mayor.

To hear the segment, please visit Houston Public Media.