A former Emporia State employee has sued the university, alleging violations of his civil rights.
Former custodial specialist Eric Cannon filed his lawsuit Friday, saying his rights as a gay man are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — and as a disabled person under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Cannon says he was hired in March 2023 and has “multiple” health issues that make it difficult to perform daily tasks like work assignments. He had to call in sick in early August due to a non-work injury, but he says he was threatened for not showing up to work by a supervisor, Jeff Horton. Cannon also says Horton informed the managerial team about Cannon’s sexual orientation, which made Cannon uncomfortable for fear of discrimination. Cannon says at least one encounter with a supervisor, Kyle Ramsey, violated ESU’s policy of supervisor-employee conversations needing a neutral third party, and other encounters were “intimidating.” He also says additional duties cleaning up Science Hall led to him getting sick from chemical fumes, but the university ignored medical advice to provide a mask during those times. Cannon also alleges the Human Resources department continually asked for background information despite it being provided on several occasions.
Eventually, Cannon says he was fired in March 2024 for missing multiple days of work.
Cannon’s lawsuit includes single counts of sex discrimination, and Americans with Disabilities Act discrimination. It also includes two counts of retaliation, one for Title VII and one for ADA violations. Cannon is seeking back pay, lost or denied benefits, front pay, injunctive relief, compensatory damages, punitive damages and offset of attorney fees and other legal costs.
