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Gay man's salary cut by boss for 'being paid more than other females in office'

An ex-employee at a New York-based event planning company says his boss tried cut his pay in half because he earned "so much more than the other females in the office".

Wesley Wernecke, a former senior producer at event company Eventique, claims he was discriminated against —and ultimately fired — due to his sexuality.

Mr Wernecke was reportedly let go last month and he is now filing a lawsuit against the company, WNBC-TV reported.

The suit alleges Mr Wernecke experienced a climate of discrimination that started after his boss, CEO Henry Liron David, learned he was gay, according to the former employee's lawyer Anthony Consiglio.

Mr Wernecke joined the company in June, moving from Boston to New York in order to take the job.

Shortly after, one of his coworkers commented on his "girly" engagement ring, asking Mr Wernecke if his wife had a similar band.

Mr Wernecke answered by saying his partner, Evan, did wear one.

Wesley Wernecke (left) claims he was let go from his job after it was revealed he was gay.
A coworker commented on Wesley Wernecke's (left) "girly" engagement ring, asking if his wife had a similar band, he responded his partner, Evan, did. Source: NBC/Getty stock

According to the lawsuit, that situation resulted in an increased level of tension within the office with co-workers starting to ignore him as they entered the office each morning.

They also allegedly excluded him from corporate lunches and took part in a number of other isolating moves that led to Mr Wernecke seeking a psychiatrist in order to deal with his newfound mental stress.

"David took pains to mark Wernecke as different from the other employees through these physical demonstrations," the lawsuit states.

"Neither Wernecke's professional experience and accomplishments nor the goodwill he brought to Eventique's work earned him equality."

Mr David sought to create a "hostile" and "rigidly heterosexual" work environment, even encouraging jokes about gay men, according to the suit.

The situation completely boiled over when Mr David informed Mr Wernecke that his salary — $212,000 per year — was essentially being cut in half.

An elaborate event thrown by Eventique, the firm at the centre of Wesley Wernecke's lawsuit.
Mr Wernecke, a former senior producer at event company Eventique, claims he was ultimately fired due to his sexuality.  Source: Instagram/Eventique

When the CEO told Mr Wernecke he would now be receiving just $102,000, he allegedly said the following: "I couldn't sleep at night thinking that you were being paid so much more than the other females in the office.”

Mr David later threatened to cut Mr Wernecke's salary one more time, bringing the yearly total down to just $85,000.

Wernecke's lawsuit claims he took issue with the pay cut and was ultimately fired on October 4.

"David simply could not bear the thought that Eventique would continue to be represented by a gay man," the lawsuit states.

The CEO's lawyer, Gena Zaiderman, has denied the allegations in Mr Wernecke's suit, calling them "baseless”.

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