A Northglenn man has sued a sub-contractor working on the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Aurora claiming he was fired so he could “take care of his health and well-being.”
William Scott Davis claims that co-workers incorrectly concluded he was gay, harassed him and accused him of molesting a boy, the lawsuit filed Wednesday says.
The lawsuit, filed by Arvada attorney Ralph Lamar, says Davis believes he contracted HIV 10 years ago from a former girlfriend.
Davis is seeking compensation for lost wages, punitive damages and attorney’s fees. Davis’ lawsuit said he was subjected to discrimination in a “hostile work environment” because of his gender and his disability, the filing says.
A spokeswoman for the Kennewick, Wa.-based construction company with 800 employees, could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Apollo hired Davis as a plumber in May 2014 to work at the VA Hospital in Aurora.
Apollo supervisors notified Davis’ union about Davis’ medical condition out of concern about what could happen to co-workers if Davis became seriously injured, even though Davis did not request or need an accommodation for his condition, the lawsuit says.
Soon afterwards, people he worked with started harassing Davis by making obscene comments about him, going so far as to say Davis was molesting a boy, the lawsuit claims. The harassment occurred on a daily basis, the lawsuit says.
Davis says he complained, the men denied making the statements and the next day he was fired.
The company claimed Davis’ “mental instability” was , after Davis made “accusations” that couldn’t be justified, the lawsuit says.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, denverpost.com/coldcases.com or twitter.com/kirkmitchell
