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Former Planning Commissioner in Tennessee Sues for Discrimination

Lisa Anderson alleges she was pressured to resign from her post as planning commissioner in Fairview, TN, because she's a lesbian.

A former planning commissioner in Tennessee is suing her city's government for anti-gay discrimination following her resignation from the planning board.

Lisa Anderson of Fairview alleges she was pressured to resign from the post she'd held for 12 years because of her sexuality. According to the Nashville Tennessean, in 2017, Anderson overheard an elected official say, "We are not going to have a lesbian involved here at city hall."

Weeks later, Anderson was no longer on the commission and was fired from her part-time job cleaning city hall.

Her lawyer, Larry Crain, says, Anderson suffered "humiliation and embarrassment" after losing both her job and her seat on the commission. Now, she's suing the city's elected officials for $500,000 in damages plus legal fees.

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"The plaintiff alleges that she was discriminated against for failing to conform to traditional gender stereotypes in an observable way at work," Crain wrote in the lawsuit, which was filed on September 29.

Derek Burks, an official on the Fairview Board of Commissioners who allegedly made the hurtful remark about Anderson's sexuality, was reportedly concerned about her appointment to the commission, arguing that the slate of commissioners at the time wasn't fulfilling the board's outlined expectations. He maintains that he never actually made that comment, though: "I haven't seen the allegations," he told the Tennessean. "And I can't imagine what she would’ve heard that would make her think I said that."

Notably, Anderson's lawsuit marks the 10th time the city of Fairview has been sued in the past two years alone.

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