Macy’s Fires Man Who Didn’t Support Transgender Bathroom Policy

Macy’s has fired a long-time employee after the man stated his religious beliefs about the store’s transgender bathroom policy.

CharismaNews.com reports that Javier Chavez worked at a Macy’s store in Flushing, Queens since 1990. He began as a door guard, but was promoted to store detective.

He had been working at the store for 26 years when he was fired. 

A situation arose when a woman and her daughter expressed their distress about a transgender woman who was in the women’s restroom. 

A security guard under Chavez’s command asked the transgender woman to leave the restroom, but the individual refused. 

"He later exited the bathroom holding hands with his female companion and he declared that he 'was a female,' which was not true," Mr. Chavez wrote in his complaint.

An assistant store manager later told Chavez that men who identify as women are allowed to use the women’s restroom.

Chavez then expressed his views on the subject to his co-worker:

"I advised her that this was against my religion and contrary to the Bible," Chavez wrote. "I also mentioned that I would not like my young daughters to be in the bathroom with a male inside."

Though Chavez never actually refused to enforce the policy, a few days after the incident, he was called into the human resources office and was suspended, and later terminated. 

Chavez contends that he faced discrimination for his religious beliefs.

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League agreed:

"The most basic religious right is the right to believe; if conscience rights can be vitiated, the First Amendment means nothing," Donohue said. "Macy's has no legal or moral grounds to stand on."

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: July 27, 2016