Quote:A New York appeals court has affirmed a lower court’s 2012 ruling that a lesbian chef is owed $1.6 million for being forced to attend weekly prayer meetings where her boss would regularly warn that "gay people" were "going to go to hell."

Mirella Salemi sued Gloria's Tribeca Inc., Gloria's Tribecamex and principal owner Edward Globokar for violations of the New York City Human Rights Law after a string of incidents that occurred between 2004 and 2007. Gloria's Tribeca is a Mexican restaurant.

Salemi was awarded $400,000 in compensatory damages and $1.2 million in punitive damages in what her lawyer, Derek Smith, called "the largest employment verdict in 2012 in New York." A three-judge panel of the Appellate Division's Manhattan-based First Department affirmed the verdict for Salemi.

“He not only threatened her soul, but he also threatened her livelihood,” Smith told the New York Post in 2012. “He thought praying might cure her of her sexuality, but she is someone who didn’t need to be saved.”

Globokar had attempted to argue that he was simply exercising his right to free speech.

"The trial court properly protected Globokar's First Amendment rights by instructing the jury that he had 'a right to express his religious beliefs and practice religion, providing that he does not discriminate against his employees based on religion or sexual orientation,'" the judges wrote in their ruling.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/03/31/C...=sec&or=on

So they put a monetary value on her soul?

How did they prove they were right, and Globokar was wrong?

"The trial court properly protected Globokar's First Amendment rights by instructing the jury that he had 'a right to express his religious beliefs and practice religion, providing that he does not discriminate"- which of course is NOT what the Constitution says.

He should have fired her when she objected and allowed her to live a life of eternal damnation... same as God does.

I think your right to practice your faith pretty much stops at mandatory prayer meetings for your employees.

(04-02-2014 08:16 AM)Smaug Wrote:  I think your right to practice your faith pretty much stops at mandatory prayer meetings for your employees.

I agree. Of course the question is, why did she go?

(04-02-2014 08:16 AM)Smaug Wrote:  I think your right to practice your faith pretty much stops at mandatory prayer meetings for your employees.

It's not mandatory that she works at this establishment.

(04-02-2014 08:16 AM)Smaug Wrote:  I think your right to practice your faith pretty much stops at mandatory prayer meetings for your employees.

Agree, but $1.6M?

I'll let an Imam pray over me for $1.6M any day.

It's going to be funny to watch the separation of Church and State crowd when the Muslims begin to have the numbers.

(04-02-2014 08:24 AM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  It's going to be funny to watch the separation of Church and State crowd when the Muslims begin to have the numbers.

Enclaves of sharia law will be the norm. It is Moselims religious rights.

I'll just stick this here...

(04-02-2014 08:33 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  

(04-02-2014 08:24 AM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  It's going to be funny to watch the separation of Church and State crowd when the Muslims begin to have the numbers.

Enclaves of sharia law will be the norm. It is Moselims religious rights.

Yes, that's how it's playing out in Europe right now.

(04-02-2014 08:35 AM)gdunn Wrote:  I'll just stick this here...

That pretty much sums it up right there. Whenever we hear people whine about Christians and prayer in schools or the workplace, that meme should be posted. Every time.

(04-02-2014 08:20 AM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(04-02-2014 08:16 AM)Smaug Wrote:  I think your right to practice your faith pretty much stops at mandatory prayer meetings for your employees.

It's not mandatory that she works at this establishment.

are you serious dude?

(04-02-2014 08:41 AM)john01992 Wrote:  

(04-02-2014 08:20 AM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(04-02-2014 08:16 AM)Smaug Wrote:  I think your right to practice your faith pretty much stops at mandatory prayer meetings for your employees.

It's not mandatory that she works at this establishment.

are you serious dude?

Yeah dude. Are you serious?

(04-02-2014 08:40 AM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  That pretty much sums it up right there. Whenever we hear people whine about Christians and prayer in schools or the workplace, that meme should be posted. Every time.

I grew up in a community and my junior year in HS (1998-1999), we had a man in our community who I will say is a very devout Christian speak against prayer in school.. A lot of people looked down on him, then you heard his reasoning-- If we allow prayer in school, it can't be just for the Christian.. We have to allow it for those who practice Judaism, the Hindu faith, Islamic followers, and the list goes on. By time all these prayers are said, there would be no time to educate the kids.

He had carefully researched it and had come to this conclusion and added-- We cannot deem what's an acceptable religion and what prayer should be done, it's best to keep it out, and if your kids want to pray, they need to do it on their own. The schools cannot expel a child for praying on their own, that's their freedom.

(04-02-2014 08:24 AM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  It's going to be funny to watch the separation of Church and State crowd when the Muslims begin to have the numbers.

I expect my opinion to be pretty much the same.

(04-02-2014 08:46 AM)gdunn Wrote:  

(04-02-2014 08:40 AM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  That pretty much sums it up right there. Whenever we hear people whine about Christians and prayer in schools or the workplace, that meme should be posted. Every time.

I grew up in a community and my junior year in HS (1998-1999), we had a man in our community who I will say is a very devout Christian speak against prayer in school.. A lot of people looked down on him, then you heard his reasoning-- If we allow prayer in school, it can't be just for the Christian.. We have to allow it for those who practice Judaism, the Hindu faith, Islamic followers, and the list goes on. By time all these prayers are said, there would be no time to educate the kids.

He had carefully researched it and had come to this conclusion and added-- We cannot deem what's an acceptable religion and what prayer should be done, it's best to keep it out, and if your kids want to pray, they need to do it on their own. The schools cannot expel a child for praying on their own, that's their freedom.

Any time prayer in school gets brought up, I point out that advocates presuppose that the teacher (read: agent of the state) practices the same faith as them. I ask, "If they had little Skippy bowing to Mecca, you'd be cool with that?"

Besides, I'm reminded of the words of a wise old Baptist minister I know, "I couldn't care less if kids prayed in school, so long as they prayed at home."

I don't think school led prayer should be imposed, but I do think a 2 minutes of silence is a good idea.

(04-02-2014 08:41 AM)john01992 Wrote:  

(04-02-2014 08:20 AM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(04-02-2014 08:16 AM)Smaug Wrote:  I think your right to practice your faith pretty much stops at mandatory prayer meetings for your employees.

It's not mandatory that she works at this establishment.

are you serious dude?

You do know that many people are forced to go through "sensitivity training" as mandatory conditions of employment, don't you?

Why do you express no outrage at that?

It was dumb of the owner to place himself in this position.