Nation : Woman Sues Over Spanish Ban
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TAMPA, Fla. — A woman who says she was forced to go outside her office to speak Spanish filed a discrimination suit, charging that her former employer’s English-only policy insulted Hispanic employees.
Ivette Gonzalez, a former probation counselor at the Salvation Army, contended that she was forced to resign in 1986 for failure to abide by a ban on speaking of Spanish during breaks.
“They said the only way I could speak Spanish during lunch was to go outside the building,” said Gonzalez, 34, a native of Puerto Rico. “I felt humiliated.”
Center director Carroll Hepperle said the English-only rule was issued because some employees heard nothing but Spanish and felt they were being talked about.
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