Here in America who you vote for is entirely your business—you don't have to tell your wife or your kids, your friends or your boss. Especially that last one. Because otherwise you might end up like Michael Verzillo, a black manager at a Long Island T.G.I. Friday's for 15 years who says he was fired after he told a white manager that he was going to vote for Barack Obama. Before we go on though—15 years at T.G.I. Friday's? Wow.
According to a federal discrimination suit filed last week, 50-year-old regional manager Tanya Edwards asked the 39-year-old Verzillo who he would vote for in September 2008. When he replied Obama she told him not to because, according to the New York Post, "the Bible predicted 'a black Muslim will take power and destroy the world.'" And it didn't end there. On Election Day Verzillo says she called him up to see who he'd be voting for and told him that Obama was "a big mistake." And then it got ugly.
After Obama won, Edwards reportedly began a "campaign against Verzillo and criticized his performance." Finally, he was charged, falsely he says, with changing expiration dates on food and leaving early during a snowstorm. He was fired, via the phone, two days before Christmas.
T.G.I. Friday's has not yet responded to our e-mail requesting comment on the suit.
