Lawsuit alleges sexual discrimination at Rainbow PUSH
Jesse ‘Hymie Town’ Jackson has some splainin’ to do…
A former Rainbow PUSH employee who filed a sexual discrimination complaint against the organization and Rev. Jesse Jackson with the Illinois Department of Human Rights in 2010 has now filed a lawsuit making similar allegations.
Tommy Bennett, of Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, alleges in the lawsuit that co-workers at Rainbow PUSH mocked and harassed him because he is gay when he worked for the civil rights group from 2007-2009.
Bennett’s lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, names Jackson and Rainbow PUSH as defendants.
In the lawsuit, Bennett alleges that one of his co-workers led a prayer during a volunteer meeting and stated ‘bind these homosexual spirits that are in the office’ and ‘get these homosexuals out of here and do it in Jesus’ name.’
The lawsuit claims that Bennett’s superiors did not address his complaints and that he was eventually laid off because he of his sexual orientation.
Representatives with Rainbow PUSH, including Jackson, could not immediately be reached.