Teen Allegedly Forced to Wear 'Gaytard' Tag Files Complaint

An openly gay teen from Yankton, South Dakota, filed a discrimination complaint this week against the fast food restaurant where he worked, after officials allegedly forced him to wear a name tag that said "gayatard," the Argus Leader reports.

It was reported in June that Tyler Brandt, 16, resigned from Taco John's after he was allegedly forced to wear the offensive name tag, which he kept as evidence. According to the restaurant's manager, John Scott, Brandt chose to wore the anti-gay slur himself as a joke, and was not forced to wear it.

Brandt claims he wore the tag because he was initially worried about losing his job, and says that he was berated with the anti-gay slur in front of customers and coworkers when he asked if he could remove it.

Since resigning, Brandt created a website to draw attention to bullying aimed at the LGBT community and to call for punishment against Scott.

He filed his complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota. The complaint says that Taco John's Yankton and Taco John's International violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"What happened to me was so incredibly humiliating," Brandt told the Argus Leader. "My hope is that this filing results in a policy to ensure that no other Taco John's employee will ever experience this kind of harassment."

Brandt stressed he wants Scott to be punished for allegedly making him wear the name tag.

"The manager who did all this ... nothing happened to him," he said. "Why would I want to do something that insults who I am?"

According to Heather Smith, head of the ACLU of South Dakota, the complaint will hopefully force Taco John's to take responsibility for the behavior of the manager and acknowledge that its unacceptable.

"We think what happened to Tyler is deplorable, and this is a chance for Taco John's International to make it right," Smith told the newspaper.

Jeff Linville, the CEO of Taco John's International, said in a Wednesday statement that the company would cooperate with the EEOC's investigation.

"We at Taco Johns are deeply concerned about the reported incident in Yankton," Linville wrote. "At Taco John's International, Inc., we believe everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, and in response to Tyler's complaint, we share his belief that discrimination is wrong"

He added that the restaurant in Yankton, S.D., is a franchise and the company does not oversee the day-to-day responsibilities in franchise stores.

"The decision whether to discipline the franchisee may only be made when it is legally concluded that a law has been violated by the franchise owners," Linville said.

The ACLU also set up a website to support Brandt.

"We're asking people to send messages of encouragement for Tyler," Smith said.