A former Chicago Blackhawks PR manager is taking the team to court, claiming he was fired for being gay and speaking openly about his experience in hockey.
Anthony Filomena filed the lawsuit Thursday after losing his job just days after doing an interview with Outsports, a website that covers LGBTQ+ stories in sports.
The timing wasn’t a coincidence, Filomena says.
He claims he got the green light for the interview from Blackhawks owner Danny Wirtz himself. But things quickly went south. Just three days after the April 29 piece ran, a senior employee allegedly confronted him, saying the department was “very angry” about it.
When Filomena told his supervisor he felt the criticism was because of his sexual orientation, things got even worse. The next day – May 3 – he was fired.
The Blackhawks are pushing back hard against his claims. In a statement to The Athletic, they say Filomena’s firing had nothing to do with being gay or the interview. Instead, they point to “multiple instances of misconduct” over six months.
“He received multiple written communications outlining expectations including a formal, final written warning prior to his dismissal,” the team said. “His termination was solely due to continued misconduct and disregard for our company policies.”
But Filomena’s lawsuit tells a different story. He says he had a “perfect rating” on his performance review just a month before getting fired. The reasons they gave for letting him go? Those were “either fabricated, exaggerated, or not the actual basis for the decision,” according to his legal filing.
The former PR manager describes facing “hostile and aggressive actions” from his supervisor before his termination.
He’s now seeking back pay, future wages, benefits, legal fees, and additional damages.
The case puts another spotlight on hockey culture at a time when the sport is trying to become more inclusive. It’s also not the first time the Blackhawks have faced serious allegations about their workplace environment.
