| 10-November-2011 -- EWTNews Feature |
"We're grateful these two companies have made it clear they will not tolerate discrimination against employees or vendors based on their views on same-sex marriage," said Jonathan Baker, director of the organization's Corporate Fairness Project, on Nov. 7.
The announcements came in response to an outcry over the recent dismissal of Frank Turek, who is employed by both companies.
Turek, a leadership seminar speaker, lost his contract with Bank of America and Cisco after human relations employees were informed that he had written a book arguing against the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples.
In response, the National Organization for Marriage started a consumer complaint campaign in Charlotte, N.C., where Bank of America's headquarters is located.
Baker explained that the organization reached out to Bank of America customers in the Charlotte area and asked them to call the corporate complaint line to express their disapproval.
More than 1,400 people called to complain.
Baker said that the organization also wrote to the boards of both companies asking if their policies permit employees to be punished for expressing views on public issues.
Mark Chandler, Cisco's senior vice president for legal services, responded in a Nov. 4 letter acknowledging that "Cisco was incorrect in dealing with Dr. Turek."
The National Organization for Marriage said that Cisco has "taken steps to ensure it does not happen again" and clarified that it is not company policy to discriminate against employees who, outside the context of work, voice their support for marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
A senior human resources employee at Bank of America has also said that Turek is a vendor in good standing and that the company has "taken the appropriate measures" to address the issue.
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said the victory is not the end, but rather the beginning of a "campaign to make sure decent law abiding people who believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman are not treated as outcasts or racists."
"We respect the work of corporations like Cisco and Bank of America, which should not be dragged into cultural or political wars," said Brown.
However, he added, "we also believe corporations should respect the rights of each of its employees, vendors and customers to have their own views."
Read more: http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=4323#ixzz1dPe8fycB
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