Illinois Man Claims Company Fired Him for Opposing Homosexuality
by Allie Martin
July 1, 2005
(AgapePress) - A former employee of Allstate has sued the insurance company, claiming he was fired because he wrote an article that was critical of homosexual "marriage."
Back in December, J. Matt Barber was working as a manager in Allstate's Corporate Security Division at the company's headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. At the same time, he wrote a regular column for several conservative Internet sites.
Barber was critical of homosexuality and same-sex marriage in his column, which he wrote at home on his own time and on his personal computer. "The insurance industry is a tight fraternity," he explains, "and I had planned to make my full career in the insurance industry."
However, now that he has "dared to speak out against so-called, same-sex marriage," Barber alleges, "Allstate has targeted me for professional, financial, and emotional destruction." And the reason, he insists, is "because I dared, on my own time, to defend traditional marriage -- because I dared to speak out against so-called same-sex 'marriage.'"
The former insurance company employee contends that he was terminated shortly after his column appeared on several conservative Internet sites. Because of this, he feels Allstate has violated his constitutional right to free speech.
Barber says the company, in effect, "reached into my living room, put their foot down on my neck, and told me 'Hey, you can't think that way. You can't believe that. And if you do, Allstate disagrees with you, and we're going to destroy you.'" It is Barber's contention that he has now been "black-listed in the insurance industry," and his expectation is that "I'll certainly never work in my field again."
Barber has filed a federal lawsuit against Allstate. Representing him is David Gibbs III, an attorney who also represented Terri Schiavo's family.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
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