Nation : Woman Sues Over Spanish Ban

TAMPA, Fla. —  A woman who says she was forced to go outside her office to speak Spanish filed a discrimination suit, charging that her former employer’s English-only policy insulted Hispanic employees.

Ivette Gonzalez, a former probation counselor at the Salvation Army, contended that she was forced to resign in 1986 for failure to abide by a ban on speaking of Spanish during breaks.

“They said the only way I could speak Spanish during lunch was to go outside the building,” said Gonzalez, 34, a native of Puerto Rico. “I felt humiliated.”

Center director Carroll Hepperle said the English-only rule was issued because some employees heard nothing but Spanish and felt they were being talked about.