A Houston bankruptcy lawyer has sued his former employer, Polsinelli, alleging that he was fired because he’s gay.
Trey A. Monsour, once a partner in Polsinelli’s bankruptcy group in Houston, claims he was fired a year ago without cause, nearly three years after he’d become an equity partner in what was then the national firm’s new Houston office.
He further claims that he was subjected to harassment and denied adequate support and resources by the firm because of his sexual orientation and that he was paid less than “other attorneys with similar or lesser contributions to the firm.”
His lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Houston, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and equitable relief, including back pay. Monsour is requesting a jury trial.
“These allegations are outrageous. The firm will vigorously defend itself against these erroneous and defamatory charges. We will do so with the facts, relying primarily on Mr. Monsour’s own words and actions. They will paint a very different story,” Polsinelli Chairman and CEO Chase Simmons said in a statement.
Monsour, 58, is represented by William A. Brewer III, William A. Brewer IV and Robert M. Millimet of Brewer, Attorneys & Counsellors, in Dallas.
“The legal profession,” his complaint says, “often criticized for its historical lack of minority representation, has made real and important progress in the hiring and retention of diverse candidates.… Unfortunately, some employers, like defendant, fail to be the progressive workplaces they depict in recruitment and promotional materials.”
The suit describes Monsour as “a well-respected bankruptcy attorney, with nearly three decades of experience in his field.” He is now a partner in the Dallas office of Fox Rothchild.
When he was fired – by phone – on March 31, 2020, he was told only that colleagues at Polsinelli found him “difficult to work with,” the suit alleges. It claims, in addition to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, age discrimination.
In 2019, the lawsuit adds, Polsinelli – a firm of more than 800 lawyers in 21 offices across the country – reported that at least 72% of its partners were white heterosexual males; 22% were white heterosexual females; 2% were members of the LGBTQ communities; and all minorities combined represented only 7% of the firm’s partners.