S.F. hotel accused of firing employee for being gay
A former employee at the Inn of the Five Graces is suing the downtown Santa Fe hotel and its owners, saying they fired him because he is gay.
The lawsuit portrays well-known Santa Fe business owner Ira Seret as a bigot known by employees for his “vulgar language, yelling fits, and mocking people.” His wife, Sylvia Seret, also is named as a defendant.
Kevin Abell says in his suit he worked at the inn as a property engineer before being fired without explanation in November.
According to the suit, the Serets’ “true motive” for firing him was “animosity toward his sexual orientation (gay) and an attempt to retaliate for and/or preempt a complaint by him for their anti-gay sentiment.”
Abell says his termination came shortly after the inn’s former general manager, Greg Geurin, complained in writing about Ira Seret’s “ongoing willful disregard of workplace discrimination laws, including his mockery and insults of gay people,” including Abell.
“We are disappointed by these baseless allegations, which run completely counter to everything the Seret family stands for, and we will strongly defend against them through the legal process,” the Serets’ attorney, Jaclyn McLean, said in an email Tuesday.
“Mr. Abell’s sexual preference had absolutely nothing to do with his termination, and Mr. Abell’s accusations are an insult to the Serets and our diverse Santa Fe community as a whole.
“The Serets are proud and active allies of the Santa Fe LGBTQ community, and are firmly committed to fair employment practices and supportive treatment of all the individuals they employ . ... Beyond the letter of The Inn of the Five Graces’ strict formal policies prohibiting discrimination of any type, the Seret family has recognized the need to proactively address discrimination and social injustice in society at large, and ... strive daily to ensure their family’s business is a positive, respectful, and safe place to work.”
According to the statement, “ample evidence supports Mr. Abell’s termination because his job performance was insubordinate, negligent and substandard.”
Abell’s complaint includes a letter reportedly written by Geurin — who could not be reached for comment Tuesday — in which he aired concerns about the way the Serets treat employees.
“Since I took over as GM ... many of the staff have threatened to quit or have actually quit, citing the confrontational style you and Sylvia bring to personnel issues,” Geurin wrote in the Nov. 7 letter addressed to Ira Seret.
The letter accuses Ira Seret of asking inappropriate questions of applicants during interviews and discriminating against potential or existing employees on the basis of health, pregnancy and race.
“And during daily rants, you mock [Abell] who is gay — as I am, which you know,” the letter says. “You mock him by pulling your hands up to your chest and swinging them back and forth, very effeminately. It is disturbing and sickening. You also mock how [Abell] walks, exaggerating the steps and wincing back and forth. When I have protested conduct such as this and reminded you of employee’s rights, you have told me to quit ‘representing’ the employees and act like an owner.
“By the above conduct, you show me you do not take seriously or intend to comply with federal and state discrimination and retaliation laws.”
According to the suit, the Inn of the Five Graces placed Geurin on administrative leave in response to this letter and Geurin never returned to work.
McLean declined to comment on the circumstances of Geurin’s separation from the hotel.
About a week after Geurin’s departure, the suit says, Abell told two co-workers he was considering resigning because of Ira Seret’s behavior and shared with them a draft of a letter of resignation he had written accusing Ira Seret of “ongoing and unrelenting ... verbal abuse, personal intimidation, and harassment.”
“Additionally, I have been recently made aware that owner Ira Seret performed an elaborate and intentionally denigrating pantomime of my mannerisms, physical demeanor and sexual orientation in front of my direct supervisor, General Manager Greg Geurin,” Abell wrote in his letter. “This, more than anything, is a potent illustration of the hostility and discrimination Ira Seret reserves for me and other gay people that work for him.”
According to the suit, Abell was terminated two days later without being given a reason and the Serets subsequently submitted a written statement to the state Department of Workforce Solutions, “falsely claiming” they had terminated him for performance reasons.
The complaint for Human Rights Act violations and wrongful discharge was filed in state District Court. Abell seeks an unspecified amount in damages.