CHICAGO,Aug. 15, 2025 – A former Chicago Blackhawks employee is suing the NHL team, alleging discrimination based on his sexual orientation and wrongful termination. Anthony Filomena, the ex-public relations manager, claims his supervisor subjected him to “unfriendly and aggressive actions” and that he was fired shortly after a July 2024 interview with Outsports, a publication focusing on LGBTQ+ issues in sports.
Lawsuit Alleges Anti-Gay Discrimination and Retaliation
A former Chicago Blackhawks PR manager is suing the team, citing discrimination and wrongful termination after an interview about his sexual orientation.
- Anthony Filomena alleges his supervisor discriminated against him for being gay.
- Filomena claims he was fired days after an interview with Outsports.
- The team denies the allegations, citing multiple instances of misconduct.
- Filomena is seeking back pay, lost benefits, and damages.
filomena’s lawsuit, filed Thursday, asserts he was treated unfairly by his supervisor. He states he obtained approval from Blackhawks chairman and owner danny Wirtz for the Outsports interview, which was published April 29, 2024.Despite this approval, Filomena claims his supervisor was displeased. According to the lawsuit, a senior employee confronted Filomena about the interview three days after its publication, stating his department was “very angry.” Filomena informed his supervisor about this confrontation, believing the criticism stemmed from discrimination.
The day after his conversation with his supervisor, on May 3, 2024, Filomena was terminated. The lawsuit contends that the timing of his dismissal is “direct evidence of retaliation.” Though, the Blackhawks have denied Filomena’s claims. In a statement, the team asserted that Filomena’s termination was for cause, citing “multiple instances of misconduct over a period of six months.” The team also stated that filomena had received a formal, final written
