Under the guise of “zero tolerance”, gun hating private community Lakes of the Four Seasons (LOFS) has fired a seasonal landscaping employee of 21 years because he was a gun owner. And no, I don’t mean that he was carrying a gun while working, nor did he have a gun in his car on LOFS property.
Nino Ferlaino had worked for LOFS for 21 years before this summer when, in conversation amongst coworkers, he acknowledged that he believed in the 2nd Amendment and kept a gun at home.
Two days following this conversation, on July 2nd, Ferlaino’s supervisor, Doug Weiss, approached him and asked him if he carried a gun. Ferlaino admitted that he owned a gun but never carried it while working.
Let me interject something. While in Ferlaino’s mind he was just having a pleasant break time conversation among coworkers, someone in that group heard “gun owner” and went bat-poo crazy and no doubt started telling everyone that Ferlaino was carrying machine guns and weeds weren’t the only thing he was looking to whack. Such is the demented mindset of hoplophobes, that they wet their pants at the mere notion of someone owner a gun.
So, due to this hoplophobia, Weiss informed Ferlaino that he had met with the property owners association’s board of directors July 1 and that Ferlaino’s conversation with his co-workers violated the company’s “no tolerance policy.” As such, he was fired effective immediately.
There is SO much wrong with this cluster flop. Like, how exactly is the simple fact of being a gun owner a violation of any policy? After 21 years Mr. Ferlaino doesn’t get a warning or a reprimand but rather summarily fired? Also, Ferlaino doesn’t get a chance to answer any of this before being fired? I mean, even when Weiss spoke to him on July 2nd the decision was all ready made on July 1st.
Thanks to the forward thinking of the State of Indiana, not only is the LOFS actions immoral and unethical but they are also ILLEGAL.
It is that last part that has brought on the lawsuit by Ferlaino against the Property Owners Association. According to Ferlaino’s attorney, Marissa McDermott:
The association violated Indiana’s “take your gun to work law,” which was amended in 2011, because it required Ferlaino to divulge information about owing a gun and fired him because he’s a gun owner.
Also, even if Ferlaino had brought his gun to work and left it secured in his car, the law forbids employers from punishing employees who exercise that option.
Not only is Ferlaino is seeking actual and punitive damages, attorney fees etc. he’s also asking a judge to order the property owners association to refrain from engaging in similar practices with regard to other employees.
Though I’ve no doubt that a hit to the pocket books of these bigoted wannabee thought police members of the LOFS Property Owner’s Association will be an added reminder not to oppress those who choose to exercise their rights when it has nothing to do with work.
I wish Ferlaino luck in his lawsuit and hope he is compensated accordingly.
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