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CHRIS JOHNSON
Friday, October 03, 2008
The
city
manager
of
Alexandria,
Va.,
has
levied
a
$5,000
fine
against
the
company
that
owns
TGI
Friday’s
for
allegedly
firing
a
gay
employee
for
being
HIV
positive.
By
issuing
the
penalty
last
week,
James
Hartmann
supported
a
recommendation
made
by
the
Alexandria
Human
Rights
Commission,
which
ruled
unanimously
June
30
that
Carlson
Restaurants
violated
the
city’s
Human
Rights
Code
when
it
fired
James
McCray
from
his
general
manager
job
at
the
TGI
Friday’s
in
Alexandria.
But
Hartmann
is
staying
collection
of
the
fine
until
the
Alexandria
Circuit
Court
reviews
the
matter.
Carlson
Restaurants
asked
the
court
Aug.
27
to
review
the
commission’s
decision.
Edward
Semonian,
the
court’s
clerk,
said
the
court
had
not
yet
decided
whether
it
would
take
up
the
matter.
He
did
not
know
when
such
a
decision
would
be
made.
Hartmann
revealed
his
decision
to
levy
the
fine
in
a
Sept.
17
letter
to
Carlson
Restaurants.
“I
have
determined
that
levying
a
civil
penalty
against
TGI
Friday’s/Carlson
Restaurants
for
its
act
of
unlawful
discrimination
against
Mr.
McCray
is
warranted,”
the
letter
says.
McCray,
a
39-year-old
Woodbridge,
Va.,
resident,
could
not
be
reached
for
comment.
He
told
the
Blade
in
August
that
he
intended
to
file
a
federal
lawsuit
against
Carlson
Restaurants
for
violating
the
Americans
with
Disabilities
Act,
which
protects
people
who
are
HIV
positive.
Amy
Freshwater,
a
spokesperson
for
Carlson
Restaurants,
did
not
respond
to
a
request
to
comment.
McCray
lost
his
job
at
TGI
Friday’s
on
July
26,
2006.
He
said
the
company
fired
him
the
day
after
he
disclosed
he
has
HIV.
The
company
has
countered
that
McCray
was
terminated
because
of
concerns
over
restaurant
operations
and
his
integrity.
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