A local gay man has settled a private criminal complaint against an employee of an area Wal-Mart whom he said engaged in pervasive antigay harassment.
Blaze Waters, former owner of now-defunct Northeast gay club Albert’s 2nd Story, agreed to a resolution mediated by the Dispute Resolution Unit of the Philadelphia Municipal Court this week between himself and Wal-Mart employee Rufus Lee Blake.
In the agreement, Blake, an employee of the Wal-Mart store #2560 near Franklin Mills Mall, admitted to harassing Waters.
A request for comment from Wal-Mart was not returned.
Waters, who works as a bartender, said Blake began verbally harassing him about a year ago when he would visit the 24-hour store after work to shop.
“He would follow me to the bathroom and call me a faggot and tell me he was going to kick my ass,” Waters said.
Waters said he doesn’t know what motivated Blake’s harassment, other than antigay sentiment.
He said he complained to the manager on duty every time and was told the store would “take care of it” but does not know if there were ever any repercussions.
In September, Waters and his partner were shopping when he said Lee followed the pair out of the store and began yelling “faggots” and other threats at them in the parking lot.
Waters said he called police and, while they were talking to store managers, he said another employee suggested he stay away from the store.
“She asked why I keep coming in here and I said basically because I’m allowed. I’m a human being who should be treated as every other customer who comes in here,” Waters said.
Waters filed the court complaint shortly after the September incident.
In the July 11 mediation agreement, Blake agreed to a “stay-away order” for when Waters shops at the store in which he is “not to approach him, talk to him, threaten him or harass him in any way.” The order extends to any relatives or friends representing Blake.
The Human Rights Campaign gave Wal-Mart a score of 40 out of 100 on its most recent Corporate Equality Index. The company operates a nondiscrimination policy that extends to sexual orientation but not gender identity.
Wal-Mart’s “Statement of Ethics” defines harassment as “any conduct which inappropriately or unreasonably interferes with work performance, diminishes the dignity of any person or creates an intimidating, hostile or otherwise offensive work environment.”
A violation of the “Statement of Ethics” can lead to “appropriate disciplinary action,” including termination.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].