Officials in Largo, Florida again voted to dismiss city manager Steve Stanton. Stanton shot to national fame after the St. Petersburg Times revealed the fourteen year city council veteran planned to become a woman.Following the revelation, Stanton’s peers voted 5-2 to terminate his tenure. Outraged by the blatant discrimination, Stanton appealed. As part of the process, hundreds gathered Friday to either defend or denounce Stanton’s decision, including Stanton himself. He told the commission:
What I am asking for is for you to give me a chance to show you I can do the job. Dealing with Susan will be no different than dealing with Steve. Look past the gender issue and judge me as the same person I was four weeks ago.
Apparently they couldn’t, because not one of the council’s members altered their vote. Stanton’s detractors cited “trust” as an issue. Andy Guyette insisted: “Without trust, there’s no longer a foundation for any relationship.”Stanton has not yet said whether he will file a wrongful discrimination suit against the city, but he did tell reporters that he’s distraught over the decision:
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